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18 January 2017 New research calls into question a blood test used to identify diabetes risk. But we shouldn't throw out the baby with bathwater, warn Prof Jim Mann and Dr Paul Drury. An Oxford University study and accompanying editorial, published in the British Medical Journal, have raised questions regarding the most appropriate approach to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in people with prediabetes. This topic is highly relevant to New Zealand where around quarter of a million people are known to have diabetes, mostly T2DM. Many more have undiagnosed and asymptomatic diabetes and an even greater number are at high risk of developing T2DM; they are often described as having prediabetes. Although published just days ago, there has already been debate in the British media regarding the government's diabetes prevention programme in the light of these findings. It seems appropriate to consider their relevance to New Zealand where the impact of T2DM is even greater than in the UK. Professor Jim Mann, Director, Healthier Lives, and colleague Paul Drury, Honorary Consultant in Diabetes, Auckland District Health Board examine this research in the New Zealand context: Read the full article in Sciblog: Original British Medical Journal article, and editorial: Healthier Lives diabetes research and news: "*" indicates required fields
- Browse by Author Browsing by Author "Walsh, Mark M." Now showing 1 - 10 of 10 Results Per Page Sort Options Item A Case Series of Thromboelastography-Guided Anticoagulation in COVID-19 Patients with Inherited and Acquired Hypercoagulable States(Hindawi, 2021-08-03) Thomas, Anthony V.; Lin, Kevin P.; Stillson, John E.; Bunch, Connor M.; Speybroeck, Jacob; Wiarda, Grant; Al-Fadhl, Hamid; Gillespie, Laura; Zamlut, Mahmud; Fulkerson, Daniel H.; Khan, Rashid Z.; Kwaan, Hau C.; Walsh, Mark M.; Emergency Medicine, School of MedicineOne of the complications of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is hypercoagulability. For this reason, patients presenting with COVID-19 are often put on therapeutic or intermediate anticoagulation upon hospitalization. A common issue of this anticoagulation is the progression to hypocoagulability resulting in hemorrhage. Therefore, monitoring the hemostatic integrity of critically ill COVID-19 patients is of utmost importance. In this case series, we present the cases of three coagulopathic COVID-19 patients whose anticoagulation was guided by thromboelastography (TEG). In each case, TEG permitted the clinical team to simultaneously prevent thrombotic and hemorrhagic events, a difficult task for COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit. The first two cases illustrate the utility of TEG to guide anticoagulant dosing for COVID-19 patients when the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) is inaccurate. The first case was a severely ill COVID-19 patient with end-stage renal disease and a falsely elevated aPTT secondary to hypertriglyceridemia. The second case was a severely ill COVID-19 patient with chronic pulmonary disease who demonstrated a falsely elevated aPTT due to polycythemia and hemoconcentration. In both cases, TEG was sensitive to the hypercoagulability caused by the metabolic derangements which enabled the goal-directed titration of anticoagulants. The last case depicts a severely ill COVID-19 patient with an inherited factor V Leiden mutation who required abnormally high dosing to achieve therapeutic anticoagulation, guided by TEG. Hypercoagulopathic COVID-19 patients are difficult to anticoagulate without development of hypocoagulopathy. Treatment of these patients demands goal-directed therapy by diligent laboratory monitoring. This can be accomplished by the use of TEG coupled with aPTT to guide anticoagulation. This case series illustrates the necessity for active hemostatic monitoring of critically ill COVID-19 patients.Item COVID-associated non-vasculitic thrombotic retiform purpura of the face and extremities: A case report(Wiley, 2022-12-27) Bunch, Connor M.; Zackariya, Nuha; Thomas, Anthony V.; Langford, Jack H.; Aboukhaled, Michael; Thomas, Samuel J.; Ansari, Aida; Patel, Shivani S.; Buckner, Hallie; Miller, Joseph B.; Annis, Christy L.; Quate-Operacz, Margaret A.; Schmitz, Leslie A.; Pulvirenti, Joseph J.; Konopinski, Jonathan C.; Kelley, Kathleen M.; Hassna, Samer; Nelligan, Luke G.; Walsh, Mark M.; Medicine, School of MedicineSARS-CoV-2 infection can manifest many rashes. However, thrombotic retiform purpura rarely occurs during COVID-19 illness. Aggressive anti-COVID-19 therapy with a high-dose steroid regimen led to rapid recovery. This immunothrombotic phenomenon likely represents a poor type 1 interferon response and complement activation on the endothelial surface in response to acute infection.Item Hemorrhagic Resuscitation Guided by Viscoelastography in Far-Forward Combat and Austere Civilian Environments: Goal-Directed Whole-Blood and Blood-Component Therapy Far from the Trauma Center(MDPI, 2022-01-12) Lantry, James H.; Mason, Phillip; Logsdon, Matthew G.; Bunch, Connor M.; Peck, Ethan E.; Moore, Ernest E.; Moore, Hunter B.; Neal, Matthew D.; Thomas, Scott G.; Khan, Rashid Z.; Gillespie, Laura; Florance, Charles; Korzan, Josh; Preuss, Fletcher R.; Mason, Dan; Saleh, Tarek; Marsee, Mathew K.; Vande Lune, Stefani; Ayoub, Qamarnisa; Fries, Dietmar; Walsh, Mark M.; Emergency Medicine, School of MedicineModern approaches to resuscitation seek to bring patient interventions as close as possible to the initial trauma. In recent decades, fresh or cold-stored whole blood has gained widespread support in multiple settings as the best first agent in resuscitation after massive blood loss. However, whole blood is not a panacea, and while current guidelines promote continued resuscitation with fixed ratios of blood products, the debate about the optimal resuscitation strategy-especially in austere or challenging environments-is by no means settled. In this narrative review, we give a brief history of military resuscitation and how whole blood became the mainstay of initial resuscitation. We then outline the principles of viscoelastic hemostatic assays as well as their adoption for providing goal-directed blood-component therapy in trauma centers. After summarizing the nascent research on the strengths and limitations of viscoelastic platforms in challenging environmental conditions, we conclude with our vision of how these platforms can be deployed in far-forward combat and austere civilian environments to maximize survival.Item Preventing Thrombohemorrhagic Complications of Heparinized COVID-19 Patients Using Adjunctive Thromboelastography: A Retrospective Study(MDPI, 2021-07-14) Bunch, Connor M.; Thomas, Anthony V.; Stillson, John E.; Gillespie, Laura; Khan, Rashid Z.; Zackariya, Nuha; Shariff, Faadil; Al-Fadhl, Mahmoud; Mjaess, Nicolas; Miller, Peter D.; McCurdy, Michael T.; Fulkerson, Daniel H.; Miller, Joseph B.; Kwaan, Hau C.; Moore, Ernest E.; Moore, Hunter B.; Neal, Matthew D.; Martin, Peter L.; Kricheff, Mark L.; Walsh, Mark M.; Medicine, School of MedicineBACKGROUND: The treatment of COVID-19 patients with heparin is not always effective in preventing thrombotic complications, but can also be associated with bleeding complications, suggesting a balanced approach to anticoagulation is needed. A prior pilot study supported that thromboelastography and conventional coagulation tests could predict hemorrhage in COVID-19 in patients treated with unfractionated heparin or enoxaparin, but did not evaluate the risk of thrombosis. METHODS: This single-center, retrospective study included 79 severely ill COVID-19 patients anticoagulated with intermediate or therapeutic dose unfractionated heparin. Two stepwise logistic regression models were performed with bleeding or thrombosis as the dependent variable, and thromboelastography parameters and conventional coagulation tests as the independent variables. RESULTS: Among all 79 patients, 12 (15.2%) had bleeding events, and 20 (25.3%) had thrombosis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified a prediction model for bleeding (adjusted R2 = 0.787, p < 0.001) comprised of increased reaction time (p = 0.016), decreased fibrinogen (p = 0.006), decreased D-dimer (p = 0.063), and increased activated partial thromboplastin time (p = 0.084). Multivariate analysis of thrombosis identified a weak prediction model (adjusted R2 = 0.348, p < 0.001) comprised of increased D-dimer (p < 0.001), decreased reaction time (p = 0.002), increased maximum amplitude (p < 0.001), and decreased alpha angle (p = 0.014). Adjunctive thromboelastography decreased the use of packed red cells (p = 0.031) and fresh frozen plasma (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Significantly, this study demonstrates the need for a precision-based titration strategy of anticoagulation for hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Since severely ill COVID-19 patients may switch between thrombotic or hemorrhagic phenotypes or express both simultaneously, institutions may reduce these complications by developing their own titration strategy using daily conventional coagulation tests with adjunctive thromboelastography.Item Serial "death diamond" TEGs are a bedside indicator of futile resuscitation during massive transfusion(Wolters Kluwer, 2023) Moore, Ernest E.; Moore, Hunter B.; Thomas, Scott G.; Farrell, Michael S.; Sixta, Sherry; Coleman, Julia R.; Miller, Joseph B.; Bunch, Connor M.; Waxman, Dan; Walsh, Mark M.; Emergency Medicine, School of MedicineSerial DDs could serve as rapid check points to gauge the likelihood of success of continued resuscitation. Loudon et al.'s work combined with the use of serial DDs may serve as building blocks toward a trial using VETs to predict continued futile resuscitation.Item SHock-INduced Endotheliopathy (SHINE): A mechanistic justification for viscoelastography-guided resuscitation of traumatic and non-traumatic shock(Frontiers Media, 2023-02-27) Bunch, Connor M.; Chang, Eric; Moore, Ernest E.; Moore, Hunter B.; Kwaan, Hau C.; Miller, Joseph B.; Al-Fadhl, Mahmoud D.; Thomas, Anthony V.; Zackariya, Nuha; Patel, Shivani S.; Zackariya, Sufyan; Haidar, Saadeddine; Patel, Bhavesh; McCurdy, Michael T.; Thomas, Scott G.; Zimmer, Donald; Fulkerson, Daniel; Kim, Paul Y.; Walsh, Matthew R.; Hake, Daniel; Kedar, Archana; Aboukhaled, Michael; Walsh, Mark M.; Graduate Medical Education, School of MedicineIrrespective of the reason for hypoperfusion, hypocoagulable and/or hyperfibrinolytic hemostatic aberrancies afflict up to one-quarter of critically ill patients in shock. Intensivists and traumatologists have embraced the concept of SHock-INduced Endotheliopathy (SHINE) as a foundational derangement in progressive shock wherein sympatho-adrenal activation may cause systemic endothelial injury. The pro-thrombotic endothelium lends to micro-thrombosis, enacting a cycle of worsening perfusion and increasing catecholamines, endothelial injury, de-endothelialization, and multiple organ failure. The hypocoagulable/hyperfibrinolytic hemostatic phenotype is thought to be driven by endothelial release of anti-thrombogenic mediators to the bloodstream and perivascular sympathetic nerve release of tissue plasminogen activator directly into the microvasculature. In the shock state, this hemostatic phenotype may be a counterbalancing, yet maladaptive, attempt to restore blood flow against a systemically pro-thrombotic endothelium and increased blood viscosity. We therefore review endothelial physiology with emphasis on glycocalyx function, unique biomarkers, and coagulofibrinolytic mediators, setting the stage for understanding the pathophysiology and hemostatic phenotypes of SHINE in various etiologies of shock. We propose that the hyperfibrinolytic phenotype is exemplified in progressive shock whether related to trauma-induced coagulopathy, sepsis-induced coagulopathy, or post-cardiac arrest syndrome-associated coagulopathy. Regardless of the initial insult, SHINE appears to be a catecholamine-driven entity which early in the disease course may manifest as hyper- or hypocoagulopathic and hyper- or hypofibrinolytic hemostatic imbalance. Moreover, these hemostatic derangements may rapidly evolve along the thrombohemorrhagic spectrum depending on the etiology, timing, and methods of resuscitation. Given the intricate hemochemical makeup and changes during these shock states, macroscopic whole blood tests of coagulative kinetics and clot strength serve as clinically useful and simple means for hemostasis phenotyping. We suggest that viscoelastic hemostatic assays such as thromboelastography (TEG) and rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) are currently the most applicable clinical tools for assaying global hemostatic function—including fibrinolysis—to enable dynamic resuscitation with blood products and hemostatic adjuncts for those patients with thrombotic and/or hemorrhagic complications in shock states.Item Tension pneumomediastinum and diffuse subcutaneous emphysema with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection requiring operative management for impending airway collapse: A case report(Wiley, 2021-08) Lin, Kevin P.; Stefaniak, Christopher; Bunch, Connor M.; March, Robert; Zamlut, Mahmud; Raza, Syed; Osorio, Walter; Korzan, Josh; Show, Jeffery; Mjaess, Nicolas; Patel, Shivani; Zackariya, Sufyan; Sualeh, Ali; Wiarda, Grant; Al‐Fadhl, Hamid; Thomas, Anthony V.; Khan, Rashid Z.; Gillespie, Laura; Walsh, Mark M.; Medicine, School of MedicineTension pneumomediastinum is a rare complication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection that has increased in incidence with the novel coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Although traditionally managed with conservative measures, we present the indications and methods for the first operative management of tension pneumomediastinum with concomitant SARS-CoV-2 infection.Item Thromboelastography-Guided Anticoagulant Therapy for the Double Hazard of Thrombohemorrhagic Events in COVID-19: A Report of 3 Cases(International Scientific Information, 2021) Bunch, Connor M.; Thomas, Anthony V.; Stillson, John E.; Gillespie, Laura; Lin, Kevin P.; Speybroeck, Jacob; Kwaan, Hau C.; Fulkerson, Daniel H.; Zamlut, Mahmud; Khan, Rashid; Walsh, Mark M.; Medicine, School of MedicineBACKGROUND: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), often manifests a coagulopathy in severely ill patients, which may cause hemorrhage and/or thrombosis of varying severity. This report comprises the cases of 3 patients with COVID-19-associated coagulopathy who were evaluated with thromboelastography (TEG) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) to enable personalized anticoagulant therapy. CASE REPORT: Three patients presented with COVID-19 pneumonia, confirmed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, who developed thrombohemorrhagic coagulopathy. Case 1: A 72-year-old woman on long-term warfarin therapy for a history of venous thromboembolism developed a right upper lobe pulmonary embolus, despite an international normalized ratio of 6.4 and aPTT of 120.7 s. TEG enabled successful anticoagulation with heparin, and her pulmonary infarct was no longer present 2 weeks later. Case 2: A 55-year-old woman developed a rectus sheath hematoma while on heparin, and TEG demonstrated increased fibrinolysis despite COVID-19 patients more commonly undergoing fibrinolytic shutdown. Case 3: A 43-year-old woman had significant thrombus burden while severely hypocoagulable according to laboratory testing. As the venous thrombi enlarged in a disseminated intravascular coagulopathic-like state, the heparin dose was escalated to achieve a target aPTT of 70 to 80 s, resulting in a flat line TEG tracing. CONCLUSIONS: These 3 cases of COVID-19 pneumonia with complex and varied clinical histories demonstrated the clinical value of TEG combined with the measurement of aPTT to facilitate personalized anticoagulation, resulting in good clinical outcomes.Item Type B Lactic Acidosis in a Patient with Mantle Cell Lymphoma(Hindawi, 2023-08-16) Nzenwa, Ikemsinachi C.; Berquist, Margaret; Brenner, Toby J.; Ansari, Aida; Al-Fadhl, Hamid D.; Aboukhaled, Michael; Patel, Shivani S.; Peck, Ethan E.; Al-Fadhl, Mahmoud D.; Thomas, Anthony V.; Zackariya, Nuha; Walsh, Mark M.; Bufill, Jose A.; Medicine, School of MedicineType B lactic acidosis is an uncommon medical emergency in which acid production overwhelms hepatic clearance. This specific etiology of lactic acidosis occurs without organ hypoperfusion and has been most commonly described in patients with hematologic malignancies but also in patients with solid tumors. The mechanism by which cancer cells switch their glucose metabolism toward increasingly anaerobic glycolytic phenotypes has been described as the "Warburg effect." Without treating the underlying malignancy, the prognosis for patients diagnosed with malignancy-related type B lactic acidosis is extremely poor. Here, we present a case of a 66-year-old male who was diagnosed with type B lactic acidosis secondary to mantle cell lymphoma. Bicarbonate drip was started to correct the lactic acidosis. The patient was also immediately treated with rituximab chemotherapy combined with rasburicase to avoid the hyperuricemia associated with tumor lysis syndrome. He responded to the early treatment and was discharged with normal renal function. Type B lactic acidosis secondary to hematologic malignancy is important to recognize. In order to successfully treat this syndrome, early diagnosis and simultaneous treatment of the imbalance of lactic acid levels and the underlying malignancy are necessary.Item Viscoelastic Hemostatic Assays: A Primer on Legacy and New Generation Devices(MDPI, 2022-02-07) Volod, Oksana; Bunch, Connor M.; Zackariya, Nuha; Moore, Ernest E.; Moore, Hunter B.; Kwaan, Hau C.; Neal, Matthew D.; Al-Fadhl, Mahmoud D.; Patel, Shivani S.; Wiarda, Grant; Al-Fadhl, Hamid D.; McCoy, Max L.; Thomas, Anthony V.; Thomas, Scott G.; Gillespie, Laura; Khan, Rashid Z.; Zamlut, Mahmud; Kamphues, Peter; Fries, Dietmar; Walsh, Mark M.; Medicine, School of MedicineViscoelastic hemostatic assay (VHAs) are whole blood point-of-care tests that have become an essential method for assaying hemostatic competence in liver transplantation, cardiac surgery, and most recently, trauma surgery involving hemorrhagic shock. It has taken more than three-quarters of a century of research and clinical application for this technology to become mainstream in these three clinical areas. Within the last decade, the cup and pin legacy devices, such as thromboelastography (TEG® 5000) and rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM® delta), have been supplanted not only by cartridge systems (TEG® 6S and ROTEM® sigma), but also by more portable point-of-care bedside testing iterations of these legacy devices (e.g., Sonoclot®, Quantra®, and ClotPro®). Here, the legacy and new generation VHAs are compared on the basis of their unique hemostatic parameters that define contributions of coagulation factors, fibrinogen/fibrin, platelets, and clot lysis as related to the lifespan of a clot. In conclusion, we offer a brief discussion on the meteoric adoption of VHAs across the medical and surgical specialties to address COVID-19-associated coagulopathy.
Early history It is believed that the first inhabitants of Palau came from East Indonesia and arrived on Palau as early as 2000 BC. Remains of habitation as old as 3500 years have been found on the Rock Islands. These people were able to provide for their own food (fishing, fruit, vegetables) due to the very fertile soil that Palau has. The Palau people had a rather complicated social system. Their culture was matrilineal and matriarchal. For example, all their property was managed by the women, although it belonged to the clan. Another example is that the chiefs were elected by the older women. The importance of the clans depended on the amount of land and money they had. Villages were inhabited by 7 to 10 clans and the "chief" of the most important clan became the leader of the village. British, Spanish and German rule The first European to see Palau was probably the Spaniard Ruy Lopez de Villalobos in 1543. He named the island "Arrecifos", which means reefs. In 1686, the Spanish claimed Palau, but did nothing further to develop the island. It was not until 1783 that regular contact between the people of Palau and the Europeans began. In that year, the English ship Antelope, with captain Henry Wilson, ran into the reefs off Ulong Island. The crew was treated well and they even helped the Europeans to repair the ship. The son of Chief Ibedul of Koror went with the British to be educated in Britain. Unfortunately, he died of smallpox within six months. The British were shocked by this tragedy and their interest in Palau and trade with Palau increased. Unfortunately, the trade also included guns and other weapons with which the clans fought each other and which were even sometimes used against the Europeans. The British were the main trading partners until the Spanish drove them away in 1885. Spanish missionaries introduced Christianity and writing to Palau before the Spanish sold Palau to the Germans. However, the Germans were more interested in making money than in developing the island and its people. By the time they finally took over the island in 1899, only 4000 inghabitants were alive. European diseases in particular had meant that of the estimated 40,000 inhabitants of Palau before the first contact with Europeans, only 4,000 were alive. Through inoculations and better hygiene, the Germans succeeded in counteracting these diseases. But the Palauers were also forced to work on the coconut palm plantations and other enterprises. Japanese occupation The Japanese occupied Palau in 1914 until the end of World War II. During this period, the culture and traditions of Palau were seriously threatened. Schools were opened, but the islanders were taught a subordinate Japanese dialect. Furthermore, the chiefs lost their control over their village to Japanese bureaucrats. Many businesses were established, for which thousands of guest workers were brought from Japan, Korea and Okinawa to work in phosphate mines, the rice fields and pineapple plantations, among other things. The local population lost their land, either by selling it or by simply taking it away. From 1922, all Japanese possessions in the Pacific were controlled from Koro, which changed into a modern city with paved roads, electricity and running water from the tap. Of the 30,000 inhabitants, only 20% were of Palau origin. In the late 1930s Palau was cut off from the outside world and Japan began to defend the islands. During the last months of the Second World War, the Americans attacked Malakal Island and Airai State and destroyed all Japanese installations. However, the real fighting took place in September 1944 on the southern islands of Peleliu and Angaur. Before the Americans began their invasion, most people were taken to Babeldaob by the Japanese. Why this was done is still not clear, but in any case it kept many alive. The islands of Koror and Babeldaob remained free of fighting and the Japanese soldiers present there (25,000) stayed until the end of the war. From Trust Territory to Independence Palau became one of the trust territories under the administration of the United States in 1947. The Americans hoped that Palau would become one political entity together with the rest of Micronesia. In 1976, the United States separated the administration of the Northern Mariana Islands from that of the rest of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, namely the Marshall Islands, the Federation of Micronesia and Palau. The people of Palau, however, voted against merging with the Federation of Micronesia in 1978 and adopted their own constitution in July 1980. Koror became the provisional capital, which, according to the constitution, was planned to be on the biggest island Babeldaob. The constitution also stated that Palau would remain a nuclear-free zone. However, this was against the wishes of the Americans who wanted to fall back on Palau if the bases in the Philippines were closed. The United States therefore drafted a Compact of Free Association, which stated that nuclear weapons could be placed on Palau, but also that they would actually control the whole of Palau. As a kind of compensation, they would give Palau hundreds of millions of dollars. Even after eight referendums, it was not possible to remove the anti-nuclear passage from the constitution. The government then decided to amend the constitution so that people could simply vote for or against it. In November 1993, the Compact was approved by a 68% majority. It was secretly hoped, and so far successfully, that with the end of the Cold War no military installations would be built on Palau. In the end, the Compact stated that the Americans would only have military access to one third of the territory. In return, there was a fee of $140 million for the first 15 years of the 50-year contract. The US Congress agreed to a treaty of free association and on 1 October 1994 Palau became an officially independent country. In December of that year, Palau was admitted to the United Nations as the 185th member state. In June 1985, Palau's first president, Huaro Remeliik, was assassinated. Three years later, his successor, Lazarus Salii, was found dead. It seemed that he had committed suicide. The implementation of the western style of government often clashed with traditional culture of clans and chiefs. Gradually things are improving, also because the youth is confronted with the western style of government from the beginning. In 1996 Palau's pride, a 213-metre bridge between Babaeldaob and Koror, collapsed. In November 1999, a group of international banks decided to suspend payments with Nauru, Palau and Vanuatu due to suspicions of money laundering by Russian and Latin American criminal organisations. 21th century The presidential election of 7 November 2001 was won by Vice-President Tommy Remengesau with 52% of the votes. On 2 November 2004, he won again with 66.5% of the votes. Elias Camsek Chin was elected Vice-President, defeating incumbent Vice-President Sandra Pierantozzi with over 71% of the votes. On 26 April 2005, elections were held for delegates to a convention for a new constitution for the Palau Archipelago. It was held from 17 May to 15 June. An important proposal at the convention was to replace the US-inspired model of a presidential republic with that of a parliamentary democracy. In addition, an expansion of the powers of the House of Traditional Leaders (a kind of Senate) was advocated. In November 2008, Johnson Toribiong won the presidential election and his appointment followed in January 2009. In January 2010, Palau receives aid of USD 250 million from the US. The president denies that there is any connection with the housing of ex-prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. As of 17 January 2013, Tommy Remengesau is again President of Palau. In February 2014, President Remengesau announced Palau's intention to ban all commercial fishing from its waters. As part of that new policy, Palau began in 2014, following Indonesia's lead, to fire foreign fishing vessels that were fishing illegally in Palau's territorial waters. In just over a year, 15 Vietnamese-flagged boats were set on fire, seizing 25 tonnes of illegal fish destined for black markets in Asia. In June 2015, four more Vietnamese vessels were set on fire, the captains arrested and the remaining crew members sent home on two boats that were spared. Eight tonnes of sea cucumbers and reef fish were found in the ships set on fire. In January 2017, Tommy Remengesau runs for his fourth term as president. In 2017, Palau starts stamping the "Palau Pledge" into passports to remind visitors to act in an environmentally and culturally responsible manner. By 2020, Palau bans sunscreens that are toxic to the coral reef and extends the fishing ban to 80% of the Exclusive Economic Zone. Galbraith, K. / Micronesia Lonely Planet Levy, N.M. / Micronesia handbook Moon CIA - World Factbook BBC - Country Profiles Copyright: Team The World of Info
Families' Knowledge and Attitudes about Early Childhood Care and Development Representative nationwide survey (excluding the region on the left bank of the Nistru River) Early Childhood Development (ECD) refers to the first years of life (0-6 years), a period of time characterized by the formation of cognitive, social and emotional foundations that will leave a lifelong mark. The extent and comprehensiveness of the family's preparedness for ensuring the care and development of the child at this early age is critical. This study assesses the change over time in the main areas of ECD in terms of early child development, improved parenting skills, particularly child feeding and hygiene, early recognition/identification of danger signs and appropriate behavior in case of illness, and cognitive and intellectual stimulation of children. This study is based on data from a survey based on a nationally representative sample (excluding the left bank of the Nistru river) of households with children aged 0-6 years, conducted through face-to-face interviews with the main caregiver in the household. The sample included 1,236 respondents (excluding the left bank) interviewed between 17 March and 27 July 2023. The 2023 survey exactly replicates the sample and data collection method of similar surveys conducted in 2009 and 2018, allowing for comparative analyses of the data. The study "Families' Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices in Early Childhood Care and Development" was conducted by the Center for Sociological Research and Marketing "CBS-AXA" for UNICEF Moldova. Author: Vasile Cantarji, Veaceslav Bătrînescu, Natalia Vladescu, Patricia Vieru.
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16:25duration 16 minutes 25 seconds BIO265-Anatomy of the Heart 07:05duration 7 minutes 5 seconds Chemoreceptor Reflex, Adrenal Medullary Mechanism Chemoreceptor reflex mechanism with a brief review of pH and application questions, adrenal medullary mechanism, CNS ischemic response mechanism. Q: What are the different short term blood pressure… 05:14duration 5 minutes 14 seconds Blood Pressure & pH A video explaining the process by which blood pressure is regulated through pH and gas exchange. Q: How does the chemoreceptor reflex regulate Blood Pressure? 12:43duration 12 minutes 43 seconds This video explains circulatory shock. 04:36duration 4 minutes 36 seconds Parkinson's Disease This is a video about Parkinson's Disease 09:23duration 9 minutes 23 seconds Memory Chart How does memory work? long and short term memory, electric signals of memory 05:54duration 5 minutes 54 seconds G Protein Receptors Part 2 What are the uses of G Protein in the senses? g protein and action potentials and processes of senses 04:46duration 4 minutes 46 seconds G Protein Receptors Part 1 How does a G protein function? Parts and function of a G protein 02:43duration 2 minutes 43 seconds Action Potential in the Eye How does an action potential move through the eye? exlanation of an action potential in the eye, rods, bipolar neurons and the optic nerve 10:58duration 10 minutes 58 seconds What gets reabsorbed in the proximal convoluted tubule, the decending limb of the loop of Henle, the ascending limb of the loop of henle, and the distal convoluted tubule. The vasa recta is also… Renin-Angiotensinogen-Aldosterone Mechanism Effect Same mechanism as previous video, except in more depth because it focuses in on the kidney. Explains differences in cortical nephron vs juxtamedullary nephron. Q: How does this mechanism work? Q:… 05:48duration 5 minutes 48 seconds This video discusses ADH and aquaporins. Q: What is ADH, and what does it do? 10:47duration 10 minutes 47 seconds Neurons of the ANS What do the odd and even receptors do in the ANS? The differences of neurons, receptors and divisions of the ANS 08:01duration 8 minutes 1 second Electron Transport Chain Part 1 explanation of the flow of electrons through the chain Questions: How does the electron transport chain work? 06:49duration 6 minutes 49 seconds Electron Transport Chain Part 2 08:20duration 8 minutes 20 seconds Tracks of CNS What are functions and responses of the CNS? Afferent and efferent pathways, sensory and motor neurons, and synapses 05:33duration 5 minutes 33 seconds Krebs Cycle Part 2* Final stages of the Krebs cycle, product totals, beta oxidation Questions: What are the steps of the Krebs cycle? 07:57duration 7 minutes 57 seconds ANS and Receptors What are the receptors of the sympathetic, parasympathetic, and somatic systems? the different receptors in each of the systems of the autonomic nervous system 06:16duration 6 minutes 16 seconds Stomach Cells in Upper Digestion Part 1 This video covers parietal cells, and how it interacts with the bicarbonate buffer system in our bodies. Questions: What are the cells of digestion? 05:40duration 5 minutes 40 seconds Krebs Cycle Part 1* early steps of krebs cycle, CoA Questions: What are the steps of the Krebs cycle? 08:26duration 8 minutes 26 seconds Aerobic vs. Anaerobic what is the difference between aerobic and anaerobic processes? ketoacidosis, anerobic and anaerobic 05:22duration 5 minutes 22 seconds Glycolysis Part 3 What are the steps of glycolysis? final steps of glycolysis and pyruvate formation 07:31duration 7 minutes 31 seconds Diabetes Part 1 A video that teaches about diabetes. 04:45duration 4 minutes 45 seconds Glycolysis Part 1*** A video that teaches about glycolysis. 07:26duration 7 minutes 26 seconds Divisions of Nervous System Part 1 A video that teaches about divisions of the nervous system. Stomach Cells in Upper Digestion Part 2 This video covers how the enteric nervous system works with the ECL cells, cheif cells, G-cells, and D-cells. The video is a continuation of "Stomach Cells In Upper Digestion Part 1".… 05:03duration 5 minutes 3 seconds Stomach Cells in Upper Digestion Part 3 This video is a continuation on the discussion of the stomach cells, but covers what gastrin does, and what somatostatin does. It also explains what would happen if somatostatin wasn't present… 05:42duration 5 minutes 42 seconds Divisions of Nervous System Part 2 A video that teaches about divisions in the nervous system. 01:53duration 1 minute 53 seconds Micturition Reflex What the micturition reflex is, how we learn to control our bladder. Q: What is the mictuirtion reflex? 08:12duration 8 minutes 12 seconds Renal Medullary Gradient Part 2 Continuation of the previous video. Finishes this two part video by explaining the concentration gradients in the ascending loop of Henle, introduces osmolarity, and explains what urea is and where…
Education Scotland partners with National Numeracy Day National Numeracy Day will take place on 22 May 2024 and Education Scotland has been announced as lead delivery partner once again. National Numeracy Day is observed annually and aims to help raise levels of numeracy among adults and children by promoting the importance of everyday maths skills. By challenging negative attitudes and myths towards numbers, the day empowers individuals to get talking about numeracy at home, at school and at work, in a bid to build their number confidence. Chief Executive of Education Scotland, Gillian Hamilton said: "We are delighted to be a Lead Delivery Partner of National Numeracy Day, a UK-wide opportunity to promote the importance of everyday maths, for a seventh consecutive year. "Last year in Scotland more than 8,900 people took action on the National Numeracy Challenge - a free online tool to boost number confidence and skills - which was a 19% increase on the year before. "People across the country also joined in the Big Number Natter and opened up conversations with friends, families, peers and colleagues to talk all things numbers. "Good numeracy is fundamental in everyday life, from shopping to paying bills, so if you need help to sharpen up your numeracy skills we encourage both children and adults across Scotland to get involved this year. "As in previous years there will be a host of free online resources showcasing numeracy in everyday life that can be utilised at home, work and school. Education Scotland will also be highlighting resources across social media that can be used to improve numeracy skills and we hope they will help you to become more confident about numbers." Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: "National Numeracy Day is an important initiative in helping to promote the skills we will need for the future workplace, in areas like tech, engineering and AI. "Strong numeracy skills are at the heart of our school curriculum and we know that the most recent figures showed the proportions of pupils in primary school achieving expected levels of numeracy has reached record highs. "I support the initiative's aims to get us talking about numeracy at home, at school and at work." From practical advice and tips, to fun tutorials on how to make your money go further, this year has lots to offer. If you want to celebrate the numbers we use in everyday life, you can join a community of schools and organisations taking part on the National Numeracy Day website. When you sign up you will receive a toolkit with all the free materials you need to get involved and help the nation talk all things numbers. There's also the opportunity for those aged 13 and over to try the National Numeracy Challenge. It includes a quick numeracy skills check and a host of learning resources to help you increase your confidence with numbers. We would love you to share your experience on social media using the hashtags #BigNumberNatter and #NationalNumeracyDay. Sign up for National Numeracy Day for more information, to download resources and to find out the running order for the day.
Open Access HARIHARAN K1,, ARUMAIKKANNU G2 Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.35, No.2, pp. 149-157, 2018 Abstract Polyamides 12 (PA-12) has an application in the medical field such as suture materials, scaffolds for tissue engineering and for various medical devices fabrication. More often the medical devices which are produced using PA-12 are addressed to be a bioinert and osseointegration with the host tissue will be in the slower rate. This experimental work aims to improve osseointegration of PA-12 by depositing a layer of bioactive material over the surface, since the surface is the first portion to interact with host tissue. Hydroxyapatite (HA) is a calcium phosphate similar to the human tissue in morphology and composition also it… More > XINYING QIN, ZIYANG GUO, CHAO WANG, MEINING SONG, HAILEI ZHANG, YONGGANG WU* Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.35, No.2, pp. 159-169, 2018 Abstract Ionic liquids (ILs)-based organic–inorganic nanocomposite materials are a new class of hybrid materials which can be used in lithium batteries, fuel cells, dye-sensitized solar cells and pressure sensors. Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs, Al2 Si2O5(OH)4·nH2O) are hollow like aluminosilicate clay, similar to commonly used platy clay kaolin, which open up various attractive applications including catalysis, anticorrosion, adsorbent, drug delivery, enzyme immobilization, fiber spinning and so on. However, the inorganic characteristics of clay-based halloysite nanotube result in a limited application in electronic field, making it difficult to capture attentions as extensively as carbon nanotubes. Herein, we develop a feasible and versatile approach to… More > RI-CHAO ZHANGa,, ZHIHUAN HUANGa, DAN SUNb, AI LUc, MEILING ZHONGa, ZHENXING FANGa, DEHUI JIa, GUANGYAO XIONGa, YIZAO WANa Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.35, No.2, pp. 171-179, 2018 Abstract In this paper, various thicknesses of PLLA film between PC layers are obtained by spin coating of different amount of solution. The crystal morphologies and isothermal crystallization rates of poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) in the confined spaces between polycarbonate (PC) layers have been studied by polarized optical microscopy. The Crystal morphologies of poly(L-lactide) are little influenced by the thickness of PLLA films between PC layers. Nevertheless, the crystal growth and nucleation rates of PLLA films between PC layers are remarkably affected by the thickness of PLLA films. In the confined space, the nucleation and growth rates of PLLA films decrease as its… More > DMYTRO MISHUROV1 , ANDRII VORONKIN1, SERGEY BOGATYRENKO2 Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.35, No.2, pp. 181-194, 2018 Abstract These Epoxy polymer doped with a natural chromophore 3,5,7,3',4'-pentagydroxyflavone (quercetin) at different concentrations of the dopant. Spectral characteristics and nonlinear optical properties of the polymer materials were studied by UV-vis and FTIR spectroscopy. Morphology of the doped polymer films was observed using scanning electronic microscopy. Quadratic second susceptibilities of the obtained polymer films were calculated according to one-dimensional, rigid oriented gas model. It is shown that the morphology and nonlinear properties of the doped polymer films are directly dependent on the dopant concentration. More > RAN YAN1, LI LEI1,, FEI YU2, SHOUGANG CHEN1,* Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.35, No.2, pp. 195-207, 2018 Abstract Controlled drug-delivery and release systems have received increasing attention for biomedical applications. Chitosan encapsulated ibuprofen (IBU@CS) microspheres were prepared according to oil-in-water micro emulsion polymerization method for an excellent narrow pH sensitive response targeted drug delivery system. The morphology and chemical composition of IBU@CS microspheres with different formulations were characterized. The cytotoxicity test was studied by MTT assay. Results showed that the IBU@CS microspheres were in a spherical structure with a diameter in the range of 50 nm-300 nm. The IBU@CS microspheres had no toxic effect on cells. The in vitro IBU release experiments in PBS solutions of pH 6.8… More > TEMEL ÖZTÜRKa,b, KEVIN A. CAVICCHIa Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.35, No.2, pp. 209-220, 2018 Abstract The synthesis of poly(epichlorohydrin-g-ε-caprolactone) [poly(ECH-g-CL)] graft copolymers were carried out by use of a "click" chemistry reaction to graft poly(ε-caprolactone) propargyl (PCLpropargyl) to poly(epichlorohydrin) azido (PECH-N3 ). For this purpose, PECH-N3 was synthesized by the reaction of poly(epichlorohydrin) and sodium azide. Then PCL-propargyl was obtained by the reaction of poly(ε-caprolactone) [PCL] and propargyl chloride. By reacting PECH-N3 and PCL-propargyl, graft copolymers were obtained. The primary parameters, such as time and concentration, that influenced the reactions were assessed. The characterization of products was accomplished by using multiple instruments and methods including 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, FTIR, GPC, DSC, TGA, and fractional precipitation [non–solvent… More > SHUANGQI ZHAO1 , LIFEI HE2, RUIXUE YIN3,4,, KEMIN WANG2,4, Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.35, No.2, pp. 221-229, 2018 Abstract Porous cross-linked microspheres were manufactured from low-viscosity monomers through electrospraying combined with photopolymerization. Firstly, the liquid drops of monomer solution formed by electrospraying were crystallized by liquid nitrogen, and then the cross-linked polymer is formed by photopolymerization. Finally, the porous microspheres were obtained after the solvent was removed by freeze drying. The morphology, chemical structure, pore diameter and thermal stability of porous cross-linked microspheres were investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR spectroscopy), mercury intrusion porosimetry and thermogravimetry analysis (TG). This approach provides a new stratage to prepare cross-linked porous microspheres from small molecules without using… More > JABAL D. THANKI, JIGNESH P. PATEL, PARSOTAM H. PARSANIA* Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.35, No.2, pp. 231-243, 2018 Abstract Epoxy maleate of 9,9'-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)anthrone-10 (EANM) was synthesized and its jute (J-EANMS) and glass(G-EANMS) composites were prepared by hand layup compression molding technique under 20 bar at 120°C for 5h. The structure of EANM was supported by FTIR and 1HNMR spectroscopic techniques and also characterized by acid and hydroxyl values. Thermal properties of EANM and cured EANMS were evaluated by DSC and TGA at 10°C min-1 heating rate in nitrogen atmosphere. EANM and EANMS are thermally stable up to 149o and 300°C and followed three and single step degradation kinetics. The energy of activation, frequency factor, degradation order and entropy change… More > JIAN ZHOUa, ERJUN TANGa,*, LEI ZHAOa, RUITAO HANb, SHAOJIE LIUa, DISHUN ZHAOa Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.35, No.2, pp. 245-256, 2018 Abstract A cellulose-graft-poly(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (cellulose-g-PEGDMA) molecule brush was synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization in the ionic liquid 1-allyl-3- methylimidazolium chloride. The controlled mechanism of the polymer brush size and polydispersity index (PDI, Mw/Mn) were investigated. The grafting copolymers were characterized by FTIR, 1H-NMR and GPC. The results indicate that the reaction time was the main factor to control the length of the cellulose-g-PEGDMA molecule brush. The ligand was the decisive factor in controlling the PDI of the molecule brush. The PDI of PEGDMA was precisely controlled at 1.1–1.4 by using pentamethyldiethylenetriamine(PMDETA) as the ligand. Moreover, the graft molecule brush… More >
The Only Website Maintenance Checklist You'll Ever Need You might have the greatest product or service in the world. You might even have the slickest, most compelling branding in the world. Yet, all of that can fall flat because of one avoidable, albeit massive mistake… Your website maintenance isn't up to par. It's easy to neglect website maintenance, especially if your company lacks a dedicated web team. Still, website maintenance plays a critical part in any company's success. Fortunately, website maintenance is manageable for companies big and small–especially with a handy checklist! To equip you with everything you need to know to be successful, we're covering: Let's get started. What is website maintenance? Simply put: website maintenance is the practice of ensuring your site is safe and secure, running well, and delivering a great user experience. More specifically, website maintenance is an umbrella term for several activities that play a part in the overall functionality and success of your website. Some of these activities include: - Security updates: Regularly checking for plugin and content management system (CMS) updates to ensure your site is free of security risks. - Traffic metrics: Checking your site's traffic to look for major dips and sudden increases in bounce rate that indicate problems with technical aspects of your site or the content itself. - Content review: Reviewing your site for missing pieces of content, broken HTML code or images, and pages that take particularly long to load. - Design audits: Checking your site's design to see if it's causing slow load times, difficult to navigate on any devices, and accessible for all your customers. - Technical audits: Monitoring overall site uptime, checking for broken links, ensuring all pages are crawlable, and more to keep technical issues from holding you back. There are countless additional activities that fall under website maintenance, many of which depend on the type of site, the platform it's running on, your industry, and more. For example, ecommerce companies tend to have more in-depth website maintenance measures, as they have to worry about cart functionality, accepting payments, etc. Why website maintenance is important Website maintenance carries with it a number of benefits, beyond the obvious perk of, "your site simply works." - 67% of people have increased online shopping habits since the coronavirus pandemic. - Conversion rates are 5x higher for B2B sites loading in 1 second, vs. sites loading in 10 seconds. - The average load time for a site on page one of Google is 1.65 seconds. - 45% of shoppers are less likely to purchase when pages load slowly. Remember the aforementioned great product, service, brand, and so on? When your website maintenance is in great shape, you're not only free to focus on delivering the greatest product and experience—your products and brand are able to truly shine. How to do website maintenance Websites have many, many moving parts. So, it should come as little surprise that website maintenance entails many, many processes. Fortunately, you don't have to tackle website maintenance all at once, allowing you to break it up. Take a deep breath and follow this website maintenance checklist to give your customers, brand, and products the platform they deserve. Backup your site First and foremost, it's important your site is simply alive. (Alive and well can wait.) What begins as a simple plugin update or article edit can turn into blank pages and broken websites in no time. Regular site backups prevent these hiccups from turning into countless hours of lost work. Your host or CMS should have automatic site backups in place. Make sure these are active, preventing any kind of sitewide catastrophe. It's also a good idea to download copies of your site to a secure hard drive. ⏰ How often: Monthly + after major site changes Check site speed How quickly your site loads plays a huge role in your overall online success. (Remember: conversion rates are higher for quick-loading sites.) Use a tool, like Google's PageSpeed Insights, to check your site's load times. If things are slow, it's time to perform a technical audit and determine what's holding you back. Also, remember to check your page speed on a number of devices and browsers. ⏰ How often: Monthly + After major site changes Perform security updates Your website's performance means little if your site's not secure. When your security falls behind, you put your customers and your brand at risk. Make it a monthly habit to check that your site platform/CMS is up to date. Also, don't neglect to check for plugin updates, as outdated plugins can have security vulnerabilities that put your entire site at risk. After running any updates, make sure your site still functions on all devices and browsers, and that your load times weren't impacted. ⏰ How often: Monthly Delete unused plugins Speaking of plugins, delete the plugins you're no longer using. By clearing out unused plugins you're not only reducing your potential security issues via outdated plugins, you're also making your CMS cleaner and easier to navigate on the backend. ⏰ How often: Monthly Check content analytics Use an analytics tool and regularly review the performance of your content to check: - Overall site traffic - Top-performing pages - Lowest-performing pages - Pages with the highest bounce rate - Month-over-month trends If you notice a general decline in traffic, it's possible a technical issue is impairing your SEO. Similarly, if you notice a page or article is suddenly performing far worse than it used to, look for broken elements on the page itself. You can use tools like Google Analytics 4 or Google Search Console to dig deeper into content performance and URL performance metrics. While content analytics plays a role in website maintenance, it's also something your marketing specialists can check. Regardless of who checks analytics, encourage cross-departmental communication so both your content/marketing team and tech team know what's going on. ⏰ How often: Monthly Hunt down broken links Broken links lead to a negative user experience, which in turn impacts your bounce rate, SEO, and brand reputation. As part of your website maintenance routine, use a tool to check for broken links. For example, Ahrefs offers a free broken link tool that will quickly show which links lead to 404 pages on your site. Replace the broken link with updated content, or remove the link entirely if a replacement destination page doesn't exist. ⏰ How often: Monthly Review browser compatibility It's possible your site flies on Chrome but crashes and burns on Edge or Safari. The same goes for mobile and tablet devices, too. Run the aforementioned speed tests on your site while using major browsers and mobile devices (including tablets). Make sure your speed is consistent for each experience, and note the overall user experience. Is site navigation as easy on a phone as it is on a desktop? Are all elements displaying correctly? ⏰ How often: Quarterly + After major site changes Test site forms Contact forms and lead forms only help if they're working. From newly-launched landing pages for gated assets to ancient contact forms, all site forms need your attention from time to time. Use a test email and complete any forms on your site. Make sure the response not only goes through to your company inbox, but that the form also captures all the correct information. You would want to make sure your test pulled in all the relevant fields from your form. Run the same test on a variety of browsers and devices as well, as some forms may not display properly on a mobile device or tablet right out of the gate. ⏰ How often: Quarterly/Whenever you launch a new landing page Perform a content audit It's important to audit all the content on your site, from your blog to your press releases to your various landing pages. Content with missing or outdated information can impact your bounce rate, while bloated images can slow site speed. Set up a spreadsheet and go through all the content on your site, looking for the following and more: - Broken links - Broken images - Missing/outdated information - Large images/files - Dated design or branding Ideally, you should perform a content audit every quarter. If this isn't realistic for your organization, make sure it happens at least once every year. ⏰ How often: Quarterly/Yearly depending on resource constraints Reduce image file size Large file sizes often translate to crisp hero images, but at the cost of page speed. In fact, one large image can be enough to hurt your overall Google Core Web Vitals score. During the aforementioned audit, take note of any images greater than 1MB. Then, run these images through a compression tool, of which there are many. After compressing the image, reupload it to the page and make sure it still looks up to par. One of our favorite image compression tools. If you have an infographic, ebook, or other visual-heavy piece, fear not! Offer a small preview on your site, then give your audience a way to click it and expand it into a separate tab, where they can view it in all its >1MB glory. ⏰ How often: Quarterly/When publishing new articles Update/add more visuals As you publish new content and revisit the old, look for opportunities to spruce things up with (responsibly-compressed) visuals. Adding in a variety of visuals can keep your content interesting and engaging, help with SEO, and act as a way to break up text-heavy pieces and potentially lower bounce rate—all of which play into overall website performance. ⏰ How often: Quarterly/When publishing new articles Update your header and footers It's easy to forget about header and footer copy, but it's typically where we house some of the most important information about our organization: - Contact information - Terms of service - Privacy policy - Copyright info - Certifications - Important links For example, our own footer (above) may look sleek, but it still houses very important info. (Click the legal button, we dare you.) While much of the above information can stay the same year after year, it's important to ensure it's always accurate and up to date. If your organization goes through any major legal shifts, like a new copyright, or if you move offices, it's likely your header needs to change. You may also want to swap links that you're featuring in your footer (or at least test that they all go where you want them to!). Otherwise, make checking your header and footer part of your yearly website maintenance routine. It's a good idea to involve your legal team, just in case there's any legalese they need to finesse. ⏰ How often: Yearly/Following major changes Create a 404 page (if you don't have one) Nothing's ever totally foolproof, and links are no exception. It's inevitable that people will enter the wrong URL or a link will break. When this happens, a helpful 404 page should greet your audience. If you don't have one already, make a 404 page that informs your audience they're not on the right page. Then, give them links to helpful resources and popular pages on your site. This allows them to (hopefully) find what they're looking for and keeps them from bouncing. It's also a great way to build some internal links and help boost your SEO. Not to toot our own horn, but use our above 404 page for inspiration. We've linked out to some of our most popular resources and used the page as a place to showcase our fun voice. Lastly, make it a point to check your 404 page during your annual website maintenance. You likely have new resources to include and old ones to swap out. ⏰ How often: Annually Website maintenance cost Website maintenance cost, like the maintenance itself, varies across the board. The scale of your website, whether you deal with ecommerce, and the industry you're in can all impact website maintenance costs. Because of the many factors influencing website maintenance costs, estimates vary. Still, some experts estimate annual website costs at anywhere from $400 to $60,000 every year. Despite the many factors in the cost of website maintenance, there are some common elements that you can prepare for, regardless of industry or platform. - Domain renewal: $10-100/year - SSL certificate: $0-200/year - Premium plugins/Extensions: Varies - Site redesign: $0-75,000 - Secure email hosting: $2-25/monthly per-person - IT specialist: ~83,000/year salary Different types of SSL certificates Keep in mind the above is by no means an exhaustive list. If you're in ecommerce, you have to worry about the added challenges an online store presents. And if you're in a heavily-regulated industry, like health or security, you will have added security certification costs, and so on. Mastering website maintenance—regardless of budget There's no hiding the fact that a lot goes into website maintenance. And yes, maintenance can eat up a sizable budget. But it doesn't have to. Regardless of the size of your organization, you've gotten where you are because you have expertise. Leverage the resources you have and you can keep your site running safe and sound, all year round. - No/limited IT team? Leverage tools and automation to counter IT limitations. Automate your backups through your provider or platform, streamline broken backlink hunting with tools, and set security updates to run automatically. - Limited design budget? Take advantage of the many design tools available online and utilize any templates they offer. If you can't afford an in-house designer, find a reputable freelancer who can tackle your major site overhauls and batches of content as needed. - Lacking SEO or content expertise? While there's no substitute for true content specialists, there are ways to reap the site maintenance benefits of content even if you lack a team. Interview your subject matter experts and turn their transcripts into blogs, then hire a freelance editor to clean things up or use one of the many great online editing tools. Ideally, you can clear out every item covered in this maintenance checklist. Even if you can't, use whatever internal resources you have, take your time, and stay organized while working through the list. Getting the most out of a well-maintained website Having a well-maintained website is no small feat. Being the case, you should take advantage of your site and get as much value out of it as possible. By following our website maintenance checklist, you're building a healthy foundation upon which you can consistently grow your organic traffic. Get a head start with our comprehensive guide on driving traffic to your site. Running Performance Max Against Brand is a Waste If you're like the majority of Google Ads advertisers, you're running Performance Max campaigns. You're also likely wasting a ton of money on it. Google makes it challenging to exclude branded keywords from Performance Max, while claiming the brand terms that do show up in these campaigns are incremental. At our PPC agency, Taikun, where we manage tens of millions in Google ad spend per year, we have not seen this proposition supported by evidence. In fact we have found time and again that keeping branded terms live in PMax gives Google a license to waste your money. Is Brand Search Incremental? Before diving into the specifics of how including brand in PMax wastes money, it is important to discuss whether brand spend ever drives incremental revenue Geo lift tests we have conducted on brand spend, within both shopping and search, with a number of brands, have found in each case that ad spend was found to be completely non incremental. That is, it generated no additional (net) revenue. This is supported by other companies which have seen similar results. Despite the lack of incrementality, there are situations where spending on brand makes sense. For example: To deter competitors or retail partners from bidding on your terms; product or service segmentation that meaningfully benefits from better control of landing pages; and when brand terms overlap with nonbrand searches. Whether any of the above apply or not, it's important to remember that when running brand there's no guarantee it will drive incremental sales. If you have the volume to run a geo lift test, it's recommended. Understanding how the sausage is made Regardless of whether running brand on search or shopping is incremental for your business, there's one way to ensure it will negatively impact your incremental volume: running it in PMax. PMax gives you access to Google's entire ad inventory. It promises to use machine learning to maximize your overall performance across Google's entire ecosystem. This sounds great in theory. In reality, PMax is a way for Google to sell remnant inventory that you would not intentionally target because of its low quality. That poor performance can be hidden with spend against extremely high intent and high performing brand volume. For example, if 10% of your spend goes to brand at a 20x ROAS and the other 90% goes to everything else at a 0.5x ROAS, your blend is a 2.45x. Performance looks good on the blend, but in reality you're incinerating 90% of your ad budget. This is not a theoretical example. We have seen this play out with varying degrees of severity in every PMax campaign we've looked at where brand was combined with nonbrand: You need to force PMax to work for its conversions. To do that you need to strip brand out completely. How to Tell if Brand PMax is Wasting Your Budget You can take a look at your own PMax campaigns and quickly determine if you're wasting money on brand. If your PMax is performing at a better rate than other nonbrand volume in your account or your meta prospecting, you're probably running a lot of brand. Likewise, if your campaign is consistently performing above the target, it is a dead giveaway there's brand in there. Finally, if CPCs are lower than the rest of the account, brand is a likely culprit. You can also do a rough calculation of how much brand is generating witin the campaign. The insights report of PMax provides data on the search categories that are driving conversions. Add up all the conversions that are credited to search categories with brand terms and compare that to the overall campaign conversion volume. This will give you a rough idea of the percentage of conversions in the campaign being driven by brand. If it's more than 30% of the overall conversions, you're absolutely burning money and you should pull it out of PMax. Structuring Brand Outside PMax Removing brand from PMax is annoying but not overly onerous. The first step is requesting Google adds a negative keyword list to your PMax campaign. Here is the form that includes a template to send in the name of your brand terms or dedicated PMax negative keyword list. This allows you to add negative keywords to your PMax campaign. Note: The brand exclusions structure doesn't do as good a job of excluding brand terms as a negative keyword list. Next, you need to set up a brand search campaign on either target impression share, or a manual bidding strategy. Smart bidding is a bad fit for brand search for the same reason we exclude it from PMax: it allows Google to waste money. The goal with your brand search campaign should be to maximize the delta in real dollars between your spend and revenue generated. If you're managing an ecommerce brand, there's one more campaign that needs to be set up (if you don't already have one): A branded shopping campaign. A standard shopping campaign with a ROAS target that's double your nonbrand target will ensure you're capturing branded shopping inventory as well. Adjust this target as necessary. Almost no nonbrand will make it into this campaign because PMax takes precedence over standard shopping. With brand out of PMax, you'll see volume on that campaign decline substantially as well as performance. Your overall account performance should increase substantially as well. A Final Note on Google The advertiser relationship with Google is currently broken. The Google antitrust trial has exposed what many of us in the PPC community have known for years: Google is squeezing advertisers to juice their own profits. Whenever Google makes changes or encourages advertisers to do things, remember the relationship and ask yourself: "How would this benefit Google?" 8 Fast Takeaways from Google Marketing Live 2024 Similar to last year, Google Marketing Live provided a torrent of AI-fueled advances for advertisers. In all, nine presenters announced 30 products and features over the 90-minute keynote event. In the upcoming days and weeks, we'll examine each of these new products and features in-depth and share what marketers and advertising experts think of them as they roll out. But for now, here's a quick recap of the most important announcements from Google Marketing Live 2024. 8 biggest takeaways from Google Marketing Live 2024 The GML keynote was a fast and furious hour and a half. Here are the biggest announcements from the event. 1. Automatic ad placements in AI overviews Just last week at Google I/O, Google announced the wider release of AI overviews in search results (formerly known as SGE or search generative experience). Now, Google is testing automatically placed Search, PMax, and Shopping ads in AI Overview boxes. The ads will show up in a block labeled "Sponsored" to separate them from the organic and AI-derived content. These ads will show up automatically when they match the intent of both the query and the AI Overview; advertisers don't need to take any action to target those placements. 2. AI-powered, personalized recommendations and advice In another experiment, Google is using AI to speed along shoppers' decision-making process for large or complicated purchases by offering personalized product recommendations. Google used the example of someone shopping for storage space. The user would search for "short-term storage" and click on a relevant ad. They would then enter a guided shopping experience where they could answer questions and provide a photo of what they wanted to store. Google's AI reviews the details and suggests the right-size storage unit and related items like packing materials. The user then clicks through to a product page on the business's website to finalize their purchase. This ad feature is currently in the testing phase. If it's successful, it will soon be available to other verticals. 3. AI creative asset production for PMax campaigns Google announced more features and tools to help advertisers create PMax campaign assets faster and at scale. These new features include: - The ability to add brand guidelines for colors, fonts, and imagery. - Image editing is used to add and extend backgrounds, add objects, and alter image sizes to fit multiple ad placements (think of adding a plant and expanding the wall for a furniture ad). - Auto-generation of ads from a product feed. - Asset-level conversion metrics. 4. AI-enhanced Shopping Ads Shopping Ads got another layer of AI treatment with several upgrades to create a more immersive shopping experience. Virtual try-on for apparel Google is expanding its virtual try-on (VTO) experience to apparel ads. Beginning with men's and women's tops, users will be able to see how individual styles look on different body types. 3D product images Using Adidas brand sneakers as an example, Google showed off new 360-degree shoe views that can be featured in ads. Google generates the 3D images using images provided by the seller. In-ad, short-form product videos Advertisers can now incorporate short product videos—created by the brand or by influencers—into ads. The videos will be clickable and interactive, letting shoppers view related products and get styling suggestions. The ads will include product details under each video. 5. New visually immersive ad formats and features Google shared that it's expanding its demand-gen video ad campaigns by adding new options for advertisers. These features include: - Clickable stickers created from existing image assets. - The ability for users to swipe left to a branded YouTube landing page. - AI-generated animations based on static images. 6. Cohesive first-party data management In a move to improve the quality of data used to guide AI outputs, Google announced that its Ads Data Manager platform is coming out of beta testing and is now widely available. Ads Data Manager lets advertisers aggregate first-party data from sources like YouTube, Google Ads, HubSpot, and Shopify to make it more visible and actionable. The platform also acts as a "check engine light" to help make sure marketers are using data safely and responsibly. 7. Visual brand profiles on search Sellers can now create a brand profile for Search, including branded imagery, product deals, videos, and more. Brand profiles will also include reviews pulled from Product Listing Ads. It remains to be seen how much control advertisers have over which reviews are shown. 8. New profit optimization goals in PMax Advertisers will be able to optimize ads for profit goals in Performance Max campaigns. Google says advertisers using the new profit goals saw a 15% uplift in campaign profit compared to revenue-only goals. What we didn't see at Google Marketing Live 2024 There was a lot for advertisers to be excited about in this year's GML keynote, but a couple of topics stood out by their absence. No B2B-specific products or features Once again, the 90-minute Google Marketing Live session focused on the rollout of products designed to help business-to-consumer brands generate more return from their Google Ads investments. There wasn't a single mention of a B2B company, example, or use case. For obvious reasons, we'd have loved to see some. No (or too few) small-business case studies By number, the vast majority of advertisers on Google are small businesses. Yet just about every example, case study, and customer story featured big brands using Google's newest features to attract new customers. Additionally, the majority of example use cases for the new features announced at Google Marketing Live 2024 were for travel and ecommerce–industries that typically thrive in the search ads environment. Meanwhile, the typical small business wouldn't be able to reap the same benefits from these new features. "Google Ads and YouTube ads for well-established brands should work. If it didn't, it would be alarming. Show me a local business with impressive stats," tweeted Julie Bacchini, President of Neptune Moon and Managing Director of PPCChat. Our hope is that Google will use AI to make advertising easier for smaller businesses with smaller budgets. What it all means We'll dig deeper into all these announcements and new AI features in an upcoming post, but for now, the takeaway is clear: Google is investing heavily in AI across the board. We get the feeling that not all users are quite as excited about AI as Google is, and regardless, there are bound to be some hiccups, as with any new technology. But we'll be here to help you all navigate the changes. How to Navigate Your Google Ads Suspension Are you facing the dreaded red bar of death in your Google Ads account? If so, you may be the victim of a Google Ads suspension. Don't worry, you're not alone! Google Ads accounts are suspended for various reasons, leaving businesses puzzled and eager to restore their campaigns. Whether you're new to the concept of a Google Ads suspension or currently grappling with one, this article will explore Google's policies, to help you understand common suspensions, and will offer guidance on resolving issues if you find yourself fighting a suspension. Understanding Google's Approach to Suspensions Google says it prioritizes user safety and credibility over generating revenue from advertisers. With billions of ads and millions of advertiser accounts to manage, Google has implemented robust policies to ensure a largely secure online experience for users. These policies are designed to uphold legal requirements and the safety of users. The challenge arises when legitimate advertisers unintentionally get caught in the same net as bad actors who are deliberately violating policies. Google's policies cover a wide range of areas, from preventing scams and illegitimate businesses, to safeguarding users against misleading ads and harmful websites. In the past year alone, Google flagged over 5.5 billion ads and suspended around 12.7 million advertiser accounts. While these measures protect users, they also pose a significant challenge for businesses aiming to reach their audience through Google. Common Reasons for Google Ads Suspensions While the reasons an account has been suspended can vary, some are more common than others. Circumventing Systems, Suspicious Payment Activity, Unacceptable Business Practices, and Counterfeit Goods are among the top suspension types. None of these suspension types are impossible to recover from. The team at StubGroup has worked with numerous accounts struggling with these types of suspensions and have successfully gotten them reinstated. Types of Google Ads Suspensions Google rarely provides detailed explanations for account suspensions. If you get flagged for a certain policy, Google does not give more information than that. Here's a few of the most common suspension types and their potential causes: Circumventing Systems This suspension type flags tactics like cloaking, sneaky redirects, and creating multiple accounts to bypass Google's system. Obvious things that can cause this type of suspension are redirecting users to a different final URL than the one displayed in the ad, maintaining multiple accounts to run similar ads, malicious software, or using cloaking techniques to show different content to Google's review systems and actual users. There are, however, many other, less common and often unintentional triggers for Google to suspend an ad account for circumventing systems. Suspicious Payment Activity This suspension involves issues with your payment method used for the Google Ads account. Common causes include: Using virtual or prepaid cards, having multiple accounts with a history of suspension linked to the same payment method, or discrepancies in the payment details provided. Unacceptable Business Practices This suspension revolves around practices deemed unethical or harmful by Google, such as misleading claims or deceptive offers. It's common to see this suspension type in verticals that are more heavily restricted by Google's advertising policies. Common causes include: Failing to deliver promised services, using misleading information in ads, or engaging in practices that violate Google's guidelines on transparency and honesty. Counterfeit Goods Google issues this suspension if it suspects the account is advertising counterfeit products or unauthorized replicas. Businesses with original products and services can also be hit with a counterfeit good suspension if something about their business confuses Google's algorithms. Common causes include: Selling or promoting fake goods, using brand names without authorization, using misleading wording that could lead Google to think a product is counterfeit, or listing products that violate Google's trademark policies. The Technical Perspective From a technical standpoint, most suspensions stem from insufficient or incorrect information on the website. They can also come about as a result of landing page issues, security concerns, and inconsistent payment details. Google's emphasis on user safety and positive experiences shapes its algorithms. That renders these issues of top importance, and the first to get flagged. Navigating Your Google Ads Suspension Effectively If you find yourself dealing with a suspended account, don't panic. Instead, use these trusty tips to get through it. - Don't Panic: Everyone's first thought is to create a new Google Ads account. Don't be lured into this trap. Creating a new account is seen by Google as an attempt to circumvent their system and ignore the underlying problem. That new account might hurt your chances of restoring your suspended Google Ads account. - Identify the Issue: Understand the specific reason for the suspension. Review the policy Google says that you have violated and compare the policy with your account or website for anything that could appear misleading or flag Google's system. Finding the cause behind your suspension is crucial for an effective appeal. - Review Everything: Conduct a thorough review of your website, landing pages, ad content, and payment processes. Check anything and everything that could seem malicious. - Address Any Technical Issues: Promptly address any technical issues you find. If you don't have someone in-house, work with experts to ensure everything is taken care of. - Construct a Clear Appeal: When submitting an appeal for your suspended Google Ads account, provide a clear and concise explanation of the actions taken to resolve the issues. Google does not respond well to complaints against them or angry appeals. The best road to action is a calm, comprehensive appeal, outlining the resolved issues. - Documentation: Keep detailed records of changes made to your website, ad content, or payment processes as evidence of your compliance efforts. - Monitor and Iterate: Keep a record of your appeal. After submission, wait for an email from Google and monitor your ad account. What if Google Rejects My Appeal? If your appeal gets rejected, you may need to go back to the drawing board. Re-evaluate and scan for anything that could still be triggering Google's system or reviewers, including the status of connected accounts and the payment methods used. If Google provides feedback, use that as you audit your account, website, and any linked accounts that might be affected. Analyze Google's Response When Google rejects an appeal, they reply with an automated email as to why it was rejected. From time to time, however, there will be clues as to why they rejected your appeal to help steer you in the right direction. Making Changes Depending on Google's feedback, you may need to make more changes to your ad account, website, or the documentation you submitted with the appeal. This includes reviewing and updating any payment method information to ensure it is current. Check there are no outstanding balances that could lead to account suspension. Resubmit with Updates After each change, review and revise your appeal. Ensure it addresses the concerns raised by Google and its policies. Once you are confident in your modifications, resubmit the appeal. Persistence and Patience with Google Google's review process can take time, so patience is key. While you are suspended, explore different channels you may have overlooked before. There are many different ways to advertise, digitally and in print, who knows where you may find success. Consider Expert Assistance If you find yourself stuck in a cycle of rejections and suspensions, consider seeking expert assistance like the suspension team at StubGroup. Professionals with experience in dealing with Google suspensions can provide valuable insights, identify blind spots, and guide you through the process more efficiently. When choosing a professional to work with, be cautious and thoroughly research the companies to choose a reliable and transparent company that will keep your information safe and maintain an open line of communication with you. Strategies for Preventing Google Ads Suspensions - Stay Informed: Google is always updating their policies. Regularly review and stay updated on those policies to ensure ongoing compliance. - Comprehensive Compliance Training: Educate your team about Google's policies and best practices so they are aware of what to avoid when operating both your website and ad account. - Audit Your Online Presence: Conduct regular audits of your website, landing pages, social media, and ad content to identify and address potential issues before any bigger problems can arise. - Security Measures: Prioritize website security. Implementing HTTPS and conduct regular security audits of both your ad account and website. Keep your software updated, and address vulnerabilities promptly. - Ad Campaign Monitoring: Actively monitor the performance of your ad campaigns. Look for signs of policy violations or content issues and address them. It's crucial to maintaining smooth and efficient Google Ads campaigns that you adhere to Google's policies to prevent suspensions and achieve desired results. 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The Two-Spot Livebearer, Heterandria Bimaculata, has garnered significant attention among aquarium enthusiasts for its manageable care requirements and fascinating reproductive behavior. This diminutive species, reaching a maximum size of 3 inches, is native to Central America, specifically found in Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and Guatemala. With its peaceful demeanor, the Two-Spot Livebearer thrives in community tanks, particularly when kept with one male and several females. Its adaptability and hardiness make it an excellent choice for aquarists of all skill levels. However, there are several crucial aspects to consider in order to provide optimal care for these fish. Intrigued to learn more about the ideal tank conditions, feeding habits, and breeding peculiarities of the Two-Spot Livebearer? Stay tuned as we delve deeper into the care stats of this captivating species. Key Takeaways - Two-Spot Livebearers are native to Central America and can grow up to 3 inches in size. - They require a minimum tank size of 20 gallons and should be kept with one male and several females. - Two-Spot Livebearers are omnivorous and can easily eat live, flake, wafer, or frozen foods. - They are hardy and adaptable to various water conditions, making them suitable for both beginners and experienced aquarists. Description and Habitat The Two-Spot Livebearer, native to Central America ranging from Mexico to Belize, Honduras, and Guatemala, is a small fish species that can grow up to 3 inches (7.5 cm) in size. This fish species is known for its unique behavior, with males courting females by performing elaborate displays. They are also livebearers, meaning they give birth to live young instead of laying eggs. Two-Spot Livebearers come in various color variations and strains, including silver, gold, and black. They are popular among aquarium enthusiasts due to their size and peaceful behavior, making them suitable for community tanks. These fish are hardy and adaptable to various water conditions, making them ideal for both beginners and experienced aquarists. Care Requirements To properly care for Two-Spot Livebearers, it is essential to meet their specific needs and provide a well-maintained aquarium environment. These fish are known for their peaceful behavior, but it can vary, so it is recommended to keep one male with several females to avoid aggression. When it comes to tank mates, caution should be exercised as some can be very aggressive. A 20-gallon tank is the minimum size requirement for these fish. They are omnivorous and can easily eat live, flake, wafer, or frozen foods. Water temperature should be maintained between 72° to 82°F (21-28°C), with a pH range of 6.5 to 7.0 and dH range of 10-15°. Two-Spot Livebearers are hardy and adaptable, making them suitable for beginners and experienced aquarists. Regular monitoring of water parameters, providing hiding spots and plants, and avoiding aggressive tank mates are all important aspects of their care. Water Requirements As we shift our focus to the subtopic of water requirements for Two-Spot Livebearers, ensuring optimal conditions in the aquarium becomes crucial for their well-being. These fish thrive in a temperature range of 72° to 82°F (21-28°C) and prefer a pH range of 6.5 to 7.0. Additionally, maintaining a dH range of 10-15° is essential for their health. It is important to monitor water quality regularly by testing the parameters and making adjustments as needed. When choosing tank mates for Two-Spot Livebearers, caution should be exercised as some can be very aggressive. It is best to avoid keeping them with aggressive tank mates to prevent any harm or stress. Suitability and Care Tips Suitability and care tips for Two-Spot Livebearers include: - Providing a well-maintained tank with proper filtration, regular water changes, and a varied diet to ensure optimal health. - These fish are excellent for aquariums and their size and behavior make them suitable for community tanks. - They are hardy and adaptable to various water conditions, making them a good choice for both beginners and experienced aquarists. - Breeding is relatively easy with these livebearers. - It is important to monitor water parameters regularly and create hiding spots and plants for the fish to feel secure. - When it comes to tank mates, it is best to avoid keeping them with aggressive species. When it comes to the breeding of Two-Spot Livebearers, it is important to understand their unique reproductive behavior and provide the necessary conditions for successful reproduction. These fish are livebearers, meaning that they give birth to live young instead of laying eggs. Breeding techniques for Two-Spot Livebearers are relatively simple, as they are prolific breeders and can reproduce readily in a well-maintained aquarium. The key to successful breeding is to provide a suitable environment that mimics their natural habitat. This includes maintaining proper water parameters, such as a temperature range of 72° to 82°F (21-28°C) and a pH range of 6.5-7.0. Additionally, it is important to provide hiding spots and plants for the fish to feel secure during the breeding process. By following these guidelines, aquarists can enjoy the joy of witnessing the breeding behavior of Two-Spot Livebearers in their own tanks. Breeding Techniques \| Breeding Behavior \| Provide suitable environment \| Prolific breeders \| Maintain proper water parameters \| Livebearers \| Provide hiding spots and plants \| Secure breeding process \| The Two-Spot Livebearer is an ideal choice for beginner aquarists due to its hardy nature and ease of care. Here are some pros and cons of keeping Two-Spot Livebearers as beginner fish: - They are hardy and adaptable to various water conditions, making them forgiving for beginners who are still learning about water parameters. - Two-Spot Livebearers are peaceful and can be kept in community tanks with other peaceful fish. - Breeding them is relatively easy, providing an exciting experience for beginners to witness their unique reproductive behavior. - Some individuals can be aggressive, so it's important to avoid keeping them with aggressive tank mates. - They are small in size, which may make them less visually striking compared to larger fish species. - Monitoring water parameters regularly is crucial to ensure their well-being. To set up a beginner-friendly tank for Two-Spot Livebearers, consider the following tips: - Provide a well-maintained tank with proper filtration and regular water changes to maintain water quality. - Create hiding spots and plants to make the fish feel secure in their environment. - Feed a varied diet to ensure their optimal health and growth. With these tips and the hardy nature of Two-Spot Livebearers, beginners can enjoy a successful and rewarding experience with these fish in their aquarium. Tank Maintenance To ensure the health and well-being of your Two-Spot Livebearers, regular tank maintenance is essential. Proper tank cleaning and water testing are crucial for maintaining optimal water quality and preventing the buildup of harmful substances. Regular water changes, typically around 20% every two weeks, help remove accumulated waste and replenish essential minerals. Additionally, vacuuming the substrate and cleaning the tank's surfaces with a gentle aquarium-safe brush will eliminate debris and prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. Water testing should be conducted regularly to monitor levels of ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, and temperature. This information allows for adjustments to be made to maintain a stable and healthy environment for your Two-Spot Livebearers. To ensure the optimal health and growth of your Two-Spot Livebearers, it is important to provide them with a nutritious and varied diet. These fish have omnivorous feeding habits, meaning they will eat both live and plant-based foods. They have specific dietary needs that should be met to promote their overall well-being. Here are some key points to consider when feeding your Two-Spot Livebearers: - Offer a combination of live, flake, wafer, or frozen foods to provide a diverse range of nutrients. - Include high-quality protein sources, such as brine shrimp or bloodworms, to support their growth and reproduction. - Supplement their diet with plant matter, such as spirulina flakes or blanched vegetables, to meet their herbivorous needs. Additional Information As you further explore the Two-Spot Livebearer, it is important to note that they are known for their unique reproductive behavior. These fish are livebearers, which means that they give birth to live young instead of laying eggs. They are capable of reproducing at a young age and can produce multiple broods throughout their lifespan. In addition to their interesting reproductive behavior, Two-Spot Livebearers are also available in various color variations and strains. This makes them a popular choice among aquarium enthusiasts who appreciate the diversity and beauty of these fish. From vibrant oranges and yellows to subtle blacks and whites, there is a color variation to suit every aquarist's preferences. When selecting Two-Spot Livebearers, you may have the opportunity to choose from different strains that have been selectively bred for specific traits. This can include variations in color, pattern, or fin shape. By choosing carefully, you can create a visually stunning and unique aquarium display. Frequently Asked Questions What Are the Unique Reproductive Behaviors of Two-Spot Livebearers? Two-Spot Livebearers exhibit unique reproductive behaviors, including courtship rituals. These behaviors involve the male displaying vibrant colors and performing elaborate dances to attract the female. The female then gives birth to live young instead of laying eggs, contributing to their popularity among aquarium enthusiasts. What Are the Different Color Variations and Strains Available for Two-Spot Livebearers? The Two-Spot Livebearer, Heterandria bimaculata, exhibits a range of color variations and strains. These variations add vibrancy to aquariums, enhancing their aesthetic appeal. Breeders have successfully developed different strains, showcasing the fish's diverse and captivating colors. Can Two-Spot Livebearers Be Kept in a Community Tank With Other Fish Species? Two-spot livebearers can be kept in a community tank with other livebearer species, provided they are not aggressive. The ideal tank setup includes well-maintained water conditions, hiding spots, and plants for security. How Often Should Water Parameters Be Monitored for Two-Spot Livebearers? Regular monitoring of water parameters is essential for maintaining optimal health of two-spot livebearers. It is recommended to check water temperature daily and conduct comprehensive water quality tests at least once a week. What Are Some Examples of Aggressive Tank Mates That Should Be Avoided When Keeping Two-Spot Livebearers? When keeping two-spot livebearers, it is important to avoid aggressive tank mates to ensure peaceful coexistence. Examples of aggressive tank mates that should be avoided include larger fish, fin-nippers, and territorial species. In conclusion, the Two-Spot Livebearer, Heterandria Bimaculata, is a popular choice among aquarium enthusiasts due to its manageable care requirements and unique reproductive behavior. With its peaceful nature and adaptability, it is suitable for community tanks and is ideal for both beginner and experienced aquarists. Proper tank maintenance, providing hiding spots and plants, and avoiding aggressive tank mates are crucial for the optimal health of these fish. With their vibrant color variations, the Two-Spot Livebearer adds vibrancy to any aquarium.
Anyone who has sleep apnea knows how hard it is to deal with it. The most efficient way to deal with it is to have as much information as possible. Use the great advice that this article provides to help manage the impact of sleep apnea on your life. Your doctor or a sleep specialist can help you find the CPAP machine that is best suited for your needs and comfort. Size and noise are both things to factor into your decision. The newer CPAP machines are much smaller and quieter than earlier ones were. The physician should know which companies have the best machines. Do you sometimes drink or smoke? Take steps to eliminate these unhealthy habits. They can do bad things to your airways. Smoking swells up your airways while alcohol relaxes them. Both of these things can result in sleep apnea. If you cannot get rid of these habits for good, make an effort to avoid smoking or drinking before you go to bed. Quit drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes. These habits can cause your throat muscles to relax or swell, increasing sleep apnea. Giving up these habits can save you a lot of money as compared to expensive surgical procedures that might be needed later if you continue. Sleep Apnea If you sleep alone, figuring out if you suffer from sleep apnea may be difficult. To gather evidence a physician can evaluate, record yourself sleeping through the night. Your video needs to have audio as well because the doctors will want to hear any noises you make. Use a fitted sleep apnea mouth guard. For those who have sleep apnea, this guard is a wonderful thing to have. These mouth guards are more comfortable than a CPAP. It really helps keep the airways clear and keeps the soft tissues of the throat stable. Your doctor may suggest keeping a sleep journal to help pinpoint if you have sleep apnea or not. All hours slept or spent awake should be recorded. You can ask your spouse or a family member to let you know you how often you snore at night. This log will assist your doctor in diagnosing your condition. If you suffer from sleep apnea, make sure to get sinus and allergy problems treated. Because you already suffer, this should at least alleviate one of many sleep problems. You have to avoid anything else that is going to affect your ability to breathe while you are asleep. By treating your allergies or sinus problems, you will be more likely to get a full night's rest and have energy for the day. Bring your medical ID every you travel with your CPAP device. You don't need people questioning you and your device all the time, so it makes it easier when you bring your medical ID. The ID should say that you have this condition, you require a CPAP, and it should identify the pressure levels you require for effective treatment. If what you are doing at home isn't working well enough to help your sleep apnea, then you should consult with a doctor to explore some additional treatment options. A small percentage of patients don't react to the common treatments, and as a result, surgery may be their only option, which includes enlarging the airway or removing the tonsils. Take your CPAP anywhere you go, even if you make a trip to the hospital. If the hospitalization was planned or for an emergency, you should still be sure that your CPAP and your mask are brought with you to be used while you're there. You have already set the pressure to the appropriate level, and you are accustomed to the mask that you have been using nightly. This will make continuing your CPAP therapy much more tolerable. Use nasal spray if you have a nose issue. This product should help clear your airways for a night or two. Don't use it over a long duration because it can cause problems. Always speak with your pharmacist to make sure you choose the product that is right for you. Losing weight is a good way to cut chances of developing sleep apnea. Symptoms of sleep apnea are completely resolved by many once they drop a few pounds. Even a nominal amount of weight loss will go a long way in improving your breathing at night. Noring Device Try nasal spray if you notice your nose is irritating you. Using nasal spray a couple of nights in a row should help you sleep. Avoid using this product for more than a few days because it may irritate the delicate tissues in your nose. Take a trip to the local pharmacy to see what they have available to help with keeping your nose open when you're sleeping. Some people have great luck with stopping their snoring by using an anti-snoring device they wear in their mouth while sleeping. Snoring happens when the airways are mostly closed but air can come though, and apnea is when the airways are completely closed. It is understandable that something can help this. An anti-snoring device can reduce your apnea while you sleep. Minimize the risk factors associated with sleep apnea. Some of the risk factors associated with sleep apnea cannot be changed such as being born a male or having it run it the family. Yet some risk factors are controllable, for example heaving drinking, smoking, and being obese. Stop putting yourself at risk for sleep apnea. While some people suffer from sleep apnea due to genetic factors, others have it because of their lifestyle. However, things like quitting smoking and drinking are within your control, and there's no excuse for continuing these detrimental behaviors. Consulting your GP is a necessary step in getting a diagnosis of sleep apnea, but self-help options are available. Quitting smoking and losing weight are beneficial to anyone, particularly those that have sleep apnea. Also, don't drink alcohol or consume caffeine too close to bedtime. While you should always see your doctor to be diagnosed with sleep apnea, there are self-help options you could try. If you lose weight and quit smoking you will be able to combat sleep apnea. It is also important to avoid consuming alcohol, caffeine and heavy meals at least two hours prior to going to sleep. Learn to play a wind instrument. You will get several benefits: learning how to exercise the muscles used in breathing, broadening your intellect, and playing music that you enjoy. Training your breathing muscles regularly will make them stronger and they will help you control your symptoms of sleep apnea while you sleep. Do not smoke. Smoking causes your air ways to enlarge, and it makes sleep apnea much worse. To give up smoking, try any cessation program. Nicotine replacements are also good choices. After 30 days of dedication, you should almost be cured from being addicted to smoking. Once that happens, nicotine leaves your system and cravings begin dissipating. If you are using a CPAP when dealing with sleep apnea, get your doctor to prescribe you a heated humidifier. It is much easier to get better sleep and to sleep with your CPAP machine if there is warm and humid air to breathe. A lot of CPAP machines come with built-in humidifiers, so ask your doctor to prescribe that type for you. Some great tongue exercises can reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea. For example, try this: press your tongue up against your upper palate, and hold it for about three minutes. You will have less chance of your throat muscles relaxing and blocking your airway if you strengthen the muscles of your tongue and throat. Your sleep position can impact the severity of sleep apnea. Try sleeping on your side or your stomach to decrease the condition. Lift your body up by using a foam wedge at the top of the bed. This will keep excess tissue and relaxed muscles from blocking your airways. Do not drink too much alcohol if you have sleep apnea. Drinking alcohol can cause your throat to relax which can make sleep apnea worse. Do not drink or smoke before you lay down to sleep. Limiting your alcohol consumption will increase your chances of getting a lot of good rest. Sleeping on your back can make your sleep apnea worse, so try to fall asleep on your side. Something with an odd shape sewn into your sleeping attire can prevent you from returning to the back position whilst sleeping. This will cause discomfort if you roll over onto your back. Cpap Machine You may find that anxiety about your condition worsens the effects of sleep apnea once you know you suffer from it; in this case bathing before you go to sleep may be helpful. Soaking in a warm or hot bath relaxes your muscle tension. Therefore, you can sleep better without waking up because of apnea symptoms. If you're using a CPAP machine, see if you doctor can also prescribe a humidifier with heat. If the air you are taking in is moist and warm, you will have a better night's sleep. If you think you may need to use a humidifier in conjunction with your CPAP machine, talk to your doctor first. Certain cases of sleep apnea can be treated with corrective oral devices. This is caused by the shapes of people's jaws, which can mean they have narrower airways. When a device to re-align the jaw is used during sleep, more air can be allowed in. Everyone who's experienced a bout of sleep apnea knows that the effects it has on the mind and body can be remarkably stressful. It's a good idea to do your homework and learn all that you can about sleep apnea. If you apply what you've learned in this article, you'll once again sleep soundly through the night. When you suffer from sleep apnea, do not sleep on your back. Your airways will be much more likely to get blocked by sleeping on your back. The best thing you can do is sleep on the side. These days, everyone wants to know about the world of antibacterial best pillow wholesale mattress protector twin xl, encasement mattress protector, but not everyone knows where to turn for the right information. 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Dizziness, Vertigo, Auto Accident Dizziness and vertigo are fairly common symptoms after an auto injury. There are a few different causes for these symptoms: The most common cause of dizziness is injury to the tissues of the neck. When the ligaments and discs of the neck are injured, inflammation and scar tissue can affect the nerves of the spine that help us regulate balance. In fact, recent studies show that most patients suffer from balance problems after an auto accident, even if they don't have symptoms of dizziness. To view more services we provide, please click here.
Trouble musculosquelettique Mars 2024 Purpose The objective was to identify modifiable prognostic factors of high societal costs among people on sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders, and to identify modifiable prognostic factors of high costs related to separately healthcare utilisation and productivity loss. Methods Design: A prospective cohort study with a 1-year follow-up. Participants and setting: A total of 549 participants (aged 18-67 years) on sick leave (>= 4 weeks) due to musculoskeletal disorders in Norway were included. Outcome measures and method: The primary outcome was societal costs aggregated for 1 year of follow-up and dichotomised as high or low, defined by the top 25th percentile. Secondary outcomes were high costs related to separately healthcare utilisation and productivity loss aggregated for 1 year of follow-up. Healthcare utilisation was collected from public records and included primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare use. Productivity loss was collected from public records and included absenteeism, work assessment allowance and disability pension. Nine modifiable prognostic factors were selected based on previous literature. Univariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were performed to identify associations (crude and adjusted for selected covariates) between each modifiable prognostic factor and having high costs. Results Adjusted for selected covariates, six modifiable prognostic factors associated with high societal costs were identified: pain severity, disability, self-perceived health, sleep quality, return to work expectation and long-lasting disorder expectation. Depressive symptoms, work satisfaction and health literacy showed no prognostic value. More or less similar results were observed when high costs were related to separately healthcare utilisation and productivity loss. Conclusion Factors identified in this study are potential target areas for interventions which could reduce high societal costs among people on sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders. However, future research aimed at replicating these findings is warranted. © Killingmo RM; Tveter AT; Pripp AH; Tingulstad A; Maas E; Rysstad T; Grotle M. BMJ Open. 14(3):e080567, 2024 Mar 01. Purpose This study examines the relationship between functional disability and work ability in workers affected by low back pain (LBP) through an analysis of correlations between the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Work Ability Index (WAI). The role of personal and work factors on functional disability/work ability levels has also been studied. LBP is the most common musculoskeletal problem and a major disabling health problem worldwide. Its etiology is multifactorial. Multidisciplinary approaches may help reduce the burden of pain and disability and improve job continuity and reintegration at work. Methods A cohort of 264 patients affected by LBP from an Italian outpatient clinic were included in a clinical diagnostic/therapeutic trial aiming at rehabilitation and return to work through an integrated investigation protocol. Data were collected during the first medical examination using anamnestic and clinical tools. The final sample is composed of 252 patients, 57.1% man, 44.0 % blue collars, 46.4% with the high school degree, 45.6% married. Results WAI and ODI reported a negative and fair correlation (r = -0.454; p = .000). Workers with acute LBP symptoms have a higher probability of severe disability than those with chronic LBP symptoms. White collars without depressive symptoms reported higher work ability - even in chronic disability conditions-than those with depressive symptoms. Conclusion The study found that ODI and WAI have a convergent validity and this suggests that the two tools measure capture distinctive aspects of disability related to personal, environmental, and occupational characteristics. The most important and modifiable prognostic factors found for ODI and WAI were depressive symptoms, workday absence, and intensity of back pain. The study also found a mild association between age and ODI. The study's findings highlight the importance of using a multidisciplinary approach to manage and prevent disability due to LBP. © Russo F; Di Tecco C; Russo S; Petrucci G; Vadala G; Denaro V; Iavicoli S. Safety and Health at Work. 15(1):66-72, 2024 Mar. Février 2024 Purpose The aim was to evaluate if rehabilitation procedures including occupational health (OH) and workplace participation increase return to work (RTW) rates among patients with subacute and chronic low back pain (LBP). Methods A systematic review of randomized controlled trials was conducted using the PubMed and Cochrane databases. Main outcomes were RTW and days of sick leave. Interventions needed to be multidisciplinary including both OH and active workplace involvement in rehabilitation. Results Out of 1073 potentially eligible references, 8 met the inclusion criteria. Three studies had OH and 5 case managers involved in rehabilitation. Rehabilitation involving both OH and workplace improved RTW and decreased the number of sick leave days among LBP patients. Having case managers involved had no effect in RTW. In order to improve RTW, workplace visits and work ability meetings (WAMs) between OH and workplace are essential components in the rehabilitation process among patients with chronic LBP. Conclusion Based on the study results, the authors suggest utilizing these co-operative interventions with workplaces in OH. High quality research investigating only the effect of WAMs in OH setting is needed in future. © Kokkonen V; Lamminpaa A; Reijula K; Russo F; Iavicoli S; Denaro V; Kuoppala J. International Journal of Occupational Medicine & Environmental Health. 2024 Jan 25. Janvier 2024 Purpose A comprehensive review of the literature on the time between the onset of symptoms and the first episode of care and its effects on important worker outcomes in compensated musculoskeletal conditions is currently lacking. This scoping review aimed to summarize the factors associated with time to service and describe outcomes in workers with workers' compensation accepted claims for musculoskeletal conditions. Methods We used the JBI guidelines for scoping reviews and reported following the PRISMA-ScR protocol. We included peer-reviewed articles published in English that measured the timing of health service initiation. We conducted searches in six databases, including Medline (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), PsycINFO, Cinahl Plus (EBSCOhost), Scopus, and the Web of Science. Peer-reviewed articles published up to November 01, 2022 were included. The evidence was summarized using a narrative synthesis. Results Out of the 3502 studies identified, 31 were included. Eight studies reported the factors associated with time to service. Male workers, availability of return to work programmes, physically demanding occupations, and greater injury severity were associated with a shorter time to service, whereas female workers, a high number of employees in the workplace, and having legal representation were associated with a longer time to service. The relationship between time service and worker outcomes was observed in 25 studies, with early access to physical therapy and biopsychosocial interventions indicating favourable outcomes. Conversely, early opioids, and MRI in the absence of severe underlying conditions were associated with a longer duration of disability, higher claim costs, and increased healthcare utilization. Conclusion Existing evidence suggests that the time to service for individuals with compensated musculoskeletal conditions was found to be associated with several characteristics. The relationship between time to service and worker outcomes was consistently indicated in the majority of the studies. This review highlights the need to consider patient-centred treatments and develop strategies to decrease early services with negative effects and increase access to early services with better outcomes. © Mekonnen TH; Di Donato M; Collie A; Russell G. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2024 Jan 12. Purpose To evaluate the effectiveness of telerehabilitation for promoting return-to-work (RTW) among injured workers. Methods We conducted a pragmatic, quasi-experimental study comparing telerehabilitation, in-person, or hybrid services. Descriptive statistics analyzed demographics, occupational factors, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Kruskal-Wallis tests investigated differences between mode of delivery and changes in PROM scores. Logistic and Cox-proportional hazard regression examined associations between mode of delivery and RTW status or days receiving wage replacement benefits in the first-year post-discharge, respectively, while controlling for potential confounders. Results A slightly higher percentage of the 3,708 worker sample were male (52.8%). Mean (standard deviation (SD)) age across all delivery formats was 45.5 (12.5) years. Edmonton zone had the highest amount of telerehabilitation delivery (53.5%). The majority of workers had their program delivered in a hybrid format (54.1%) and returned to work (74.4%) at discharge. All PROMs showed improvement although differences across delivery formats were not clinically meaningful. Delivery via telerehabilitation had significantly lower odds of RTW at discharge (Odds Ratio: 0.82, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.70-0.97) and a significantly lower risk of experiencing suspension of wage replacement benefits in the first year following discharge (Hazard Ratio: 0.92, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.84-0.99). Associations were no longer significant when confounders were controlled for. Conclusion RTW outcomes were not statistically different across delivery formats, suggesting that telerehabilitation is a novel strategy that may improve equitable access and earlier engagement in occupational rehabilitation. Factors such as gender and geographic location should be considered when deciding on service delivery format. © Brehon K; Nagra G; Miciak M; Niemelainen R; Gross DP. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2024 Jan 24. Décembre 2023 Purpose The digital app SWEPPE (sustainable worker, a digital support for persons with chronic pain and their employers) was developed to improve the support of people with chronic pain in their return-to-work process after sick leave and includes functions such as the action plan, daily self-rating, self-monitoring graphs, the coach, the library, and shared information with the employer. This study aims to describe the use of the smartphone app SWEPPE among people with chronic pain who have participated in an interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation program. Methods This is a case study including 16 people participating in a feasibility study. The analyses were based on user data collected for 3 months. Quantitative data regarding used functions were analyzed with descriptive statistics, and qualitative data of identified needs of support from the employer were grouped into 8 categories. Results Self-monitoring was used by all participants (median 26, IQR 8-87 daily registrations). A total of 11 (N=16, 69%) participants set a work-related goal and performed weekly evaluations of goal fulfillment and ratings of their work ability. In total, 9 (56%) participants shared information with their employer and 2 contacted the coach. A total of 15 (94%) participants identified a total of 51 support interventions from their employer. Support to adapt to work assignments and support to adapt to work posture were the 2 biggest categories. The most common type of support identified by 53% (8/15) of the participants was the opportunity to take breaks and short rests. Conclusions Participants used multiple SWEPPE functions, such as daily self-registration, goal setting, self-monitoring, and employer support identification. This shows the flexible nature of SWEPPE, enabling individuals to select functions that align with their needs. Additional research is required to investigate the extended use of SWEPPE and how employers use shared employee information. © Turesson C; Liedberg G; Bjork M. JMIR Human Factors. 10:e52088, 2023 Dec 11. Novembre 2023 Purpose Firefighters perform dangerous and physically demanding work, increasing their risk of musculoskeletal injuries that can lead to work absences. Return-to-work procedures can help firefighters return-to-work sooner and safely. The purpose of this study was to explore what firefighters understand about return-to-work procedures in their workplaces, and what firefighters believe the facilitators and barriers to return-to-work are. Methods Thirty-eight Canadian career firefighters were recruited for semi-structured interviews. Qualitative descriptive methods were used to analyze the transcripts. Two researchers performed the inductive coding and thematic analysis. Results Five themes were identified: 1. Variation in the return-to-work process knowledge among firefighters based on their experiences; 2. Accessible medical resources and treatments to support injury recovery; 3. Light duties must be meaningful and suitable; 4. Pressures to return-to-work too soon may lead to negative consequences; and 5. Heavy physical demands of firefighting may become a barrier for return-to-work. 'Factors affecting RTW depended on personal experiences and context' was the overarching theme identified, as many reported facilitators for return-to-work were also reported as barriers in different contexts. There was a variation in the experiences and understanding of return-to-work. Conclusion There is a lack of knowledge of the return-to-work processes. Firefighters require access to clear return-to-work policies and procedures and treatments that are targeted to firefighting duties to support recovery from injuries and regain physical abilities after an injury. Firefighters must be able to perform all essential duties before returning to firefighting work, as returning to work too soon can lead to further injury. © Killip SC; MacDermid JC; Thayalan N; Lomotan M; Gewurtz RE; Sinden KE. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2023 Nov 08. Purpose Interdisciplinary treatment is a widely implemented strategy for the rehabilitation of patients with chronic pain. A primary treatment objective is to decrease the load on the social insurance system; however, it is questionable whether interdisciplinary treatment reduces sickness absence and disability pension (SA/DP). This register-based observational study compared SA and DP between patients in interdisciplinary treatment and unspecified interventions. Methods With data from 7,752 Swedish specialist health care patients in their prime working age, we analyzed total net SA/DP days over 3 years from the first visit to a pain rehabilitation center. A zero-one-inflated beta model, adjusted for theoretically substantiated confounders, was used to estimate the mean differences in total days and the proportions of patients with both zero and maximum days. Results Compared with unspecified interventions, interdisciplinary treatment resulted in a mean (95% confidence interval) absolute increase of 50 (37, 62) total days, a 13.0% (11.3%, 14.6%) decrease in patients with zero days, and a 1.5% (.2%, 2.8%) decrease in patients with the maximum days. Conclusion These findings support that interdisciplinary treatment increases SA/DP compared to less intensive interventions but reduces the risk of maximum days, implying that it is advantageous for patients with the highest absence. This highlights the need for improved patient selection procedures and the adaptation of interdisciplinary treatment programs to more adequately target SA/DP reduction. Perspectives: This study provides an accessible overview of SA/DP among working-age patients with chronic pain in Swedish specialist health care. It also shows that interdisciplinary treatment does not decrease SA/DP more than alternative treatments in most patients but is advantageous for the patients with the longest absence. © LoMartire R; Johansson P; Frumento P. Journal of Pain. 24(11):2003-2013, 2023 11. Purpose Medicines are often prescribed to workers with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and injuries to relieve pain and facilitate their recovery and return to work. However, there is a growing concern that prescription medicines may have adverse effects on work function. This scoping review aimed to summarize the existing empirical evidence on prescription medicine use by workers with MSD or injury and its relationship with work-related outcomes. Methods We identified studies through structured searching of MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL Plus, Scopus, Web of Science and Cochrane library databases, and via searching of dissertations, theses, and grey literature databases. Studies that examined the association between prescription medicine and work-related outcomes in working age people with injury or MSDs, and were published in English after the year 2000 were eligible. Results From the 4884 records identified, 65 studies were included for review. Back disorders and opioids were the most commonly studied musculoskeletal conditions and prescription medicines, respectively. Most studies showed a negative relationship between prescription medicines and work outcomes. Opioids, psychotropics and their combination were the most common medicines associated with adverse work outcomes. Opioid prescriptions with early initiation, long-term use, strong and/or high dose and extended pre- and post-operative use in workers' compensation setting were consistently associated with adverse work function. We found emerging but inconsistent evidence that skeletal muscle relaxants and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were associated with unfavorable work outcomes. Conclusion Opioids and other prescription medicines might be associated with adverse work outcomes. However, the evidence is conflicting and there were relatively fewer studies on non-opioid medicines. Further studies with more robust design are required to enable more definitive exploration of causal relationships and settle inconsistent evidence. © Tefera YG; Gray S; Nielsen S; Gelaw A; Collie A. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2023 Nov 07. Purpose This study evaluates the six-month cost-effectiveness and cost-benefits of motivational interviewing (MI) or a stratified vocational advice intervention (SVAI) added to usual case management (UC) for workers on sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders. Methods This study was conducted alongside a three-arm RCT including 514 employed workers on sick leave for at least 50% for >= 7 weeks. All participants received UC. The UC + MI group received two MI sessions, and the UC + SVAI group received 1-4 SVAI sessions. Sickness absence days, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and societal costs were measured between baseline and six months. Results Adding MI to UC, resulted in incremental cost-reduction of -2580EUR (95%CI -5687;612), and a reduction in QALYs of -0.001 (95%CI -0.02;0.01). Secondly, adding MI to UC resulted in an incremental cost-reduction of -538EUR (95%CI -1358;352), and reduction of 5.08 (95%CI -3.3;13.5) sickness-absence days. Financial return estimates were positive, but not statistically significant. Adding SVAI to UC, resulted in an incremental cost-reduction of -2899 EUR (95% CI -5840;18), and a reduction in QALYs of 0.002 (95% CI -0.02;0.01). Secondly, adding SVAI to UC resulted in an statistically significant incremental cost-reduction of -695 EUR (95% CI -1459;-3), and a reduction of 7.9 (95% CI -0.04;15.9) sickness absence days. Financial return estimates were positive and statistically significant. The probabilities of cost-effectiveness for QALYs were high for adding MI or SVAI (ceiling ratio 0.90). Conclusions In comparison to UC only, adding MI to UC tends to be cost-effective. Adding SVAI to UC is cost-effective for workers on sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders. © Tingulstad A; Maas ET; Rysstad T; Oiestad BE; Aanesen F; Pripp AH; Van Tulder MW; Grotle M. Journal of Occupational Medicine & Toxicology. 18(1):25, 2023 Nov 14. Purpose To explore the intensity and variation of workers' worries, pain, psychosocial factors, and margin of manoeuvre before and after a return-to-work program, and identified the psychosocial factors associated with non-return to work at the end of the rehabilitation program. Methods A pre-post study design was used. A convenience sample of 80 workers starting a return-to-work program and having a compensated musculoskeletal injury that caused an absence of more than three months from their regular work was recruited. Data were collected at baseline and at the end of the rehabilitation program on the nature of the worries and maintenance factors defined in Dugas' generalized anxiety and worry model, using validated questionnaires. The margin of manoeuvre was assessed by the treating occupational therapist. A series of descriptive analyses were performed, as well as Generalized Estimating Equations analyses. Results Workers' worries were work-related or disability-related 83% of the time at baseline. These worries were essentially based on the situation then occurring at work 90% of the time. For the Generalized Estimating Equations analyses on work status, the final model was significant, explaining 54% of the variance in non-return to work (Pseudo R2 = 0.54; p = 0.0001). Workers were 8.52 times less likely to return to work when the margin of manoeuvre was insufficient, and twice as likely not to return to work in the presence of intense worry. Worries were significantly associated with insufficient margin of manoeuvre. Conclusion A strong association between workers' lack of margin of manoeuvre at work and their worries about their return to work, and poor work outcomes, supports the importance of the worker-environment interaction in rehabilitation programs. © Coutu MF; Durand MJ; O'Hagan F; Gosselin P; Nastasia I; Berbiche D; Labrecque ME; Pettigrew S; Bordeleau M. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2023 Nov 23. Octobre 2023 Purpose Currently, there is no standard procedure for a return to work (RTW) rehabilitation program used by practitioners. The aim is to investigate the efficacy of occupational rehabilitation programs for workers with back pain. Methods Two independent reviewers screened abstracts and full-text articles in a systematic literature search in three databases conducted in 2023. Subsequently, they extracted data according to the PRISMA Statement. Results Among the 4,010 articles retrieved, 20 met the inclusion criteria. Data from accepted studies were abstracted into tables relating to the RTW, improvement of pain intensity, quality of life (QOL), and degree of disability in persons with back pain. The risk of bias was assessed using the (SIGN)-criteria. Significant improvements in RTW were shown by a workplace intervention with a physical approach and a multidisciplinary intervention but with a wide range of effect sizes. Five studies showed significant improvements in pain intensity and QOL, six studies observed significant improvements in disability. Conclusion The studies that stated positive effects on work-related data differed between intervention programs and traditional care. A combination of activity, maintenance therapy, stretching, and manual therapy showed promising results in improving RTW. In addition, the relationship and mediation between employer/workplace and employee seems to be an important aspect of RTW. However, pain intensity, disability, and QOL were enhanced with interventions that included a high proportion of physical activity. However, the intervention programs differed widely, leading to the assumption that the treatment effect of the intervention programs is not established, yet. © Kalski, L., Völkel, L., Häußler, S., & Wolfarth, B. (2023). Work 1-15. Purpose Musculoskeletal disorders and injuries (MSDI) are conditions that affect the locomotor system characterized by pain and impairment of functionality. They are the leading cause of years lived with disability. The aim of this study was to analyze the factors that influence the return to work (RTW) among workers on sick leave due to MSDI. Methods A longitudinal study was conducted in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil, between 2020-2022. The participants were 216 workers who required social security compensation due to MSDI. They filled out online questionnaires about their sociodemographic characteristics, health risk behaviors, work characteristics and health conditions. They were followed for 365 days after their first day of sick leave. A Cox regression was performed to identify the factors that influenced their first RTW. Results Most participants were male (53.0%), mean age was 39.5 years (SD 10.6), 70.4% returned to work within the one-year follow-up period. The mean duration of sick leave was 192.6 days. Factors associated with a lower RTW were age 40 years and older (HR 0.54; 95%CI 0.39-0.76) and the interaction between perceptions of the need for improvement in the physical and psychological domains of quality of life (HR 0.67; 95%CI 0.48-0.94). Conclusions Occupational healthcare professionals should pay greater attention to patients who are aging and those with perceived worse physical and psychological conditions, in order to facilitate the reintegration process and promote sustained RTW after sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorder or injury. © Silva-Junior JS; Martinez MC; Sekiya FS; de Miranda CB; Fischer FM. BMC Public Health. 23(1):1881, 2023 09 28. Purpose Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMD) are the most common causes of disability worldwide and are associated with significant use of healthcare. One way to optimize the clinical outcomes of injured workers receiving rehabilitation is to identify and address individual prognostic factors (PF), which can facilitate the personalization of the treatment plan. As there is no pragmatic and systematic method to collect prognostic-related data, the purpose of the study was to develop and assess the acceptability of a set of questionnaires to establish the "prognostic profile" of workers with WRMD. Methods We utilized a multistep process to inform the acceptability of the Measures Associated to PrognoStic (MAPS) questionnaire. During STEP-1, a preliminary version of the was developed through a literature search followed by an expert consensus including a patient-advisor. During STEP-2, future users (rehabilitation professionals, healthcare administrators and compensation officers) were consulted through an online survey and were asked to rate the relevance of each content item; items that obtained >=80% of "totally agree" answers were included. They were also asked to prioritize PF according to their usefulness for clinical decision-making, as well as perceived efficacy to enhance the treatment plan. Results The questionnaire was developed with three categories: the outcome predicted, the unique PF, and prognostic tools. Personal PF (i.e.: coping strategies, fear-avoidance beliefs), pain related PF (i.e.: pain intensity/severity, duration of pain), and work-related PF (i.e.: work physical demands, work accommodations) were identified to be totally relevant and included in the questionnaire. 84% of the respondents agreed that their patients could complete the MAPS questionnaire in their clinical setting, while 75% totally agreed that the questionnaire is useful to personalize rehabilitation interventions. Conclusion The MAPS questionnaire was deemed acceptable to establish the "prognostic profile" of injured workers and help the clinicians in the treatment decision-making process. © Tousignant-Laflamme Y; Houle C; Longtin C; Desmarais N; Gerard T; Perreault K; Lagueux E; Tetreault P; Blanchette MA; Beaudry H; Decary S. Physiotherapy Research International. e2053, 2023 Oct 07. Septembre 2023 Purpose Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) remain a challenge despite research aimed at improving their prevention and treatment. Extrinsic feedback has been suggested for the prevention and rehabilitation of WRMSDs to improve sensorimotor control, and ultimately to reduce pain and disability. However, there are few systematic reviews on the effectiveness of extrinsic feedback for WRMSDs. Objective: To perform a systematic review investigating the effect of extrinsic feedback for the prevention and rehabilitation of WRMSDs. Methods Five databases (CINAHL, Embase, Ergonomics Abstract, PsycInfo, PubMed) were searched. Studies of various designs assessing the effects of extrinsic feedback during work tasks on three outcomes (function, symptoms, sensorimotor control) in the context of prevention and rehabilitation of WRMSDs were included. Results Forty-nine studies were included, for a total sample of 3387 participants (including 925 injured) who performed work-related tasks in the workplace (27 studies) or in controlled environments (22 studies). The use of extrinsic feedback was shown to be effective in controlled environments for short-term prevention of functional limitations and sensorimotor alterations (very limited to moderate evidence) and for improving, in injured participants, function, symptoms and sensorimotor control (moderate evidence). In the workplace, it was shown to be effective for short-term prevention of functional limitations (limited evidence). There was conflicting evidence regarding its effect for WRMSD rehabilitation in the workplace. Conclusion Extrinsic feedback is an interesting complementary tool for the prevention and rehabilitation of WRMSDs in controlled environments. More evidence is needed regarding its effect for the prevention and rehabilitation of WRMSDs in the workplace. © Frasie A; Houry M; Plourde C; Robert MT; Bouyer LJ; Roy JS. Work. 76(1):61-94, 2023. Purpose Sick leave and decreased ability to work are the consequences of chronic pain. Interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation programs (IPRPs) aim to improve health-related quality of life and participation in work activities, although implementing rehabilitation strategies at work after IPRPs can be difficult. Employers' knowledge about pain and the role of rehabilitation needs to be strengthened. The self-management of chronic pain can be improved through eHealth interventions. However, these interventions do not involve communicating with employers to improve work participation. To address this deficiency, a new eHealth intervention, Sustainable Worker Digital Support for Persons with Chronic Pain and Their Employers (SWEPPE), was developed. This study aimed to describe the acceptability of SWEPPE after IPRPs from the perspective of patients with chronic pain and their employers. Methods This study included 11 patients and 4 employers who were recruited to test SWEPPE in daily life for 3 months after IPRPs. Data were collected using individual interviews at the end of the 3-month test period and questionnaires, which were completed when SWEPPE was introduced (questionnaire 1) and at a 3-month follow-up (questionnaire 2). Data were also collected on how often SWEPPE was used. Qualitative data were analyzed through a qualitative content analysis using an abductive approach. The framework used for the deductive approach was the theoretical framework of acceptability. Quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and the differences between the responses to questionnaires 1 and questionnaire 2 using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results Both patients and employers reported that SWEPPE increased their knowledge and understanding of how to improve work participation and helped them identify goals, barriers, and strategies for return to work. In addition, participants noted that SWEPPE improved employer-employee communication and collaboration. However, experiences and ratings varied among participants and the different SWEPPE modules. The acceptability of SWEPPE was lower in patients who experienced significant pain and fatigue. A high degree of flexibility and choice of ratings in SWEPPE were generally described as helpful. Conclusions This study shows promising results on the user acceptability of SWEPPE from both patient and employer perspectives. However, the variations among patients and modules indicate a need for further testing and research to refine the content and identify the group of patients who will best benefit from SWEPPE. © Svanholm F; Turesson C; Lofgren M; Bjork M. JMIR Human Factors. 10:e46878, 2023 Sep 28. Août 2023 Purpose Work and health are a national priority in Norway, and leading health authorities call for treatment approaches that incorporate these perspectives. We have little knowledge of how physiotherapists in private practice integrate the work perspective during the treatment of patients with musculoskeletal disorders. Thus, the purpose of this study was to gain more insight into the way physiotherapists in Norway integrate the aspect of work. Methods In 2021, all 2650 privately practising members of the Norwegian Physiotherapist Association received a web-based survey that was answered by 514 physiotherapists. The survey included questions about treatment approaches, competencies, and collaboration with other health professionals in the context of promoting work participation. Results 91% of the physiotherapists reported that they play an important role in assessing work ability. 75% were confident in assessing the patients' work ability, while 25% stated that they have little or some competence. 49% of the physiotherapists often contacted the general practitioner (GP) to discuss patients' ability to work, and 19% were often contacted by the GP. Only 14% stated that they were invited to participate in dialogue meetings with the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration. 28% of the physiotherapists reported that insufficient knowledge about social security issues was an obstacle in promoting the patient's work participation. The physiotherapists believed that increased use of standardised assessment tools, better knowledge of social security issues, and closer collaboration with other professionals may strengthen their role in promoting work participation. Conclusion Although physiotherapists promote work participation when treating patients on sick leave, limited communication with the stakeholders, and inadequate knowledge of social security issues pose an obstacle. To strengthen the physiotherapist's role in the return-to-work facilitation, work and health should become a separate subject in basic and advanced education programmes for physiotherapists. © Ask T; Dragesund T; Magnussen LH; Eland ND. Physiotherapy Research International. e2045, 2023 Aug 16. Juillet 2023 Purpose Work-related injuries affect a considerable number of people each year and represent a significant burden for society. To reduce this burden, optimizing rehabilitation care by integrating prognostic factors (PF) into the clinical decision-making process is a promising way to improve clinical outcomes. The aim of this study was to identify PF specific to work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Methods We performed an overview of systematic reviews reporting on PF that had the following outcomes of interest: Return to work, pain, disability, functional status, or poor outcomes. Each extracted PF was categorized according to its level of evidence (grade A or B) and whether it was modifiable or not. The risk of bias of each study was assessed with the ROBIS tool. Results We retrieved 757 citations from 3 databases. After removing 307 duplicates, 450 records were screened, and 20 studies were retained. We extracted a total of 20 PF with a Grade A recommendation, where 7 were deemed modifiable, 11 non-modifiable and 2 were index test. For example, return to work expectations, previous sick leave, delay in referral and pain intensity were found to be predictors of return-to-work outcomes. We also identified 17 PF with a Grade B recommendation, where 11 were deemed modifiable. For example, poor general health, negative recovery expectations, coping and fear-avoidance beliefs, pain severity, and particularly physical work were found to predict return to work outcomes. Conclusion We found numerous modifiable PFs that can help clinicians personalize their treatment plan beyond diagnostic-related information for work-related musculoskeletal disorders. © Tousignant-Laflamme Y; Houle C; Longtin C; Gerard T; Lagueux E; Perreault K; Beaudry H; Tetreault P; Blanchette MA; Decary S. Musculoskeletal Science & Practice. 66:102825, 2023 Jul 12. Purpose To determine the prospective association of pain coping strategies and symptoms of anxiety and depression with work absenteeism in people with upper limb musculoskeletal disorders. Methods A systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases was conducted from inception to September 23, 2022. Prospective observational studies of adults with upper limb musculoskeletal disorders were included. Included studies had to provide data on the association of pain coping strategies (catastrophizing, kinesiophobia, self-efficacy or fear avoidance) or symptoms of anxiety and depression with work absenteeism. Study selection, data extraction and assessment of methodological quality (Newcastle Ottawa Scale) were performed by two independent authors. Random-effects models were used for quantitative synthesis. Results Eighteen studies (n=12,393 participants) were included. Most studies (77.8%) reported at least one significant association between one or more exposure factors (pain coping strategies or symptoms of anxiety and depression) and work absenteeism. Meta-analyses showed a statistically significant correlation between the exposure factors of catastrophizing (r=0.28, 95% CI: 0.15 to 0.40; p<0.0001) and symptoms of anxiety and depression (r=0.23, 95% CI: 0.10 to 0.34; p=0.0003) with work absenteeism. The correlation between self-efficacy and work absenteeism was non-significant (r=0.24, 95% CI: -0.02 to 0.47; p=0.0747). Conclusions Rehabilitation teams should consider assessing catastrophizing and symptoms of anxiety and depression to identify patients at risk for work absenteeism. Addressing these variables may also be considered in return-to-work programs for individuals with upper limb disorders. © Nunez-Cortes R; Espin A; Perez-Alenda S; Lopez-Bueno R; Cruz-Montecinos C; Vincents-Seeberg KG; Puschel TA; Calatayud J; Andersen LL. Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. 2023 Jul 23. Mai 2023 Purpose Active patient engagement and adherence are essential for successful rehabilitation outcomes, particularly in complex cases such as work-related musculoskeletal injuries. Although the therapist-patient relationship is a significant component of successful care coordination, there has been limited examination of this relationship within upper extremity musculoskeletal rehabilitation. Objective: To explore therapists' perspectives on how the therapist-patient relationship intersects with engagement and adherence in the provision of holistic and collaborative rehabilitation services. Methods Data were collected from four therapists over three months. Descriptive statistics were generated from the Sport Injury Rehabilitation Adherence Scale (SIRAS) and the Rehabilitation Therapy Engagement Scale (RTES) completed by therapists following visits from a sub-sample of patients (n = 14). Weekly semi-structured group interviews (n = 13) were analyzed using an iterative grounded theory-informed process. Emerging themes were identified, refined, and situated within the context of quantitative results. Results SIRAS scores averaged 14.4 (SD: 1.0) and RTES scores averaged 42.5 (SD: 3.5), indicating high perceived patient engagement and adherence. Four themes emerged from therapist interviews: (1) dynamic power; (2) co-constructed engagement; (3) emotional states; (4) complementary therapy contexts. Conclusion In this engaged and adherent setting, therapist-patient relationships were complex and intimate, and extended beyond education and physical interventions. Careful management of this relationship was central to active patient participation and engagement. Incorporating holistic techniques may provide more structure for managing and communicating these aspects of care. These findings provide a preliminary understanding of the impact of therapeutic relationships on engagement and collaborative care. © Loomis KJ; Roll SC; Hardison ME. Work, 2023 May 20. Avril 2023 Purpose Return to work (RTW) may be facilitated by motivational interviewing (MI), a counseling style designed to increase motivation towards behavior change. MI's relevance in a RTW context remains however unclear. Exploring how, for whom and in what circumstances MI works is therefore necessary. Methods Eighteen people (29-60 years; sick leave > 12 weeks) with low back pain (LBP) or medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) participated in a semi-structured interview after one MI consultation. We conducted a realist-informed process evaluation to explore MI's mechanisms of impact, its outcomes and how external factors may influence these. Data were coded using thematic analysis. Results Main mechanisms were supporting autonomy, communicating with empathy and respect, facilitating feelings of competence and focusing on RTW solutions instead of hindrances. Competence support was more salient among LBP patients, whereas MUS patients benefited more from empathy and understanding. External factors were mentioned to have impacted MI's effectiveness and/or the further RTW process, being personal (e.g. acceptance of the condition), work-related (e.g. supervisor support) and societal (e.g. possibility of gradual RTW). Conclusions These results stress the importance of self-determination theory's support for autonomy, relatedness and competence, together with a solution-focused approach when stimulating patients' engagement regarding RTW. These mechanisms' instalment during RTW counseling and their long-term impact depends on both personal and system-like external factors. Belgium's social security system's premise, based on control, might actually hinder RTW instead of facilitating it. Further longitudinal research could explore MI's long-term effects as well as its complex interaction with external factors. © Rymenans, I; Vanovenberghe, C; Du Bois, M; Van den Broeck, A; Lauwerier, E. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2023 Apr 02. Purpose Chronic pain is a complex health problem affecting about one-fifth of the European population. It is a leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide, with serious personal, relational and socioeconomic consequences. Chronic pain and sick leave adversely affect health and quality of life. Thus, understanding this phenomenon is essential for reducing suffering, understanding the need for support and promoting a rapid return to work and an active lifestyle. This study aimed to describe and interpret persons' experiences of being on sick leave due to chronic pain. MethodsDesign: A qualitative study with semistructured interviews analysed using a phenomenological hermeneutic approach. Setting: Participants were recruited from a community setting in Sweden. Participants: Fourteen participants (12 women) with experiences of part-time or full-time sick leave from work due to chronic pain were included in the study. Results Suffering out of sight but not out of mind was the main theme of the qualitative analysis. This theme implies that the participants' constant suffering was invisible to others, causing them to feel they were not being justly treated in society. Feeling overlooked led to a continuous struggle for recognition. Moreover, the participants' identities and their trust in themselves and their bodies were challenged. However, our study also revealed a nuanced understanding of the experiences of sick leave as a consequence of chronic pain, where the participants learnt important lessons, including coping strategies and re-evaluated priorities. Conclusions Being on sick leave due to chronic pain threatens a person's integrity and leads to substantial suffering. An enhanced understanding of the meaning of sick leave due to chronic pain provides important considerations for their care and support. This study highlights the importance of feeling acknowledged and being met with justice in encounters with others. © Lundin A; Ekman I; Wallstrom S; Andrell P; Lundberg M. BMJ Open.13(4):e066617, 2023 Apr 11. Mars 2023 Purpose To investigate whether and to what extent, return to work (RTW) expectancy and workability mediate the effect of two vocational interventions on reducing sickness absence in workers on sick leave from a musculoskeletal condition. Methods This is a preplanned mediation analysis of a three-arm parallel randomised controlled trial which included 514 employed working adults with musculoskeletal conditions on sick leave for at least 50% of their contracted work hours for ...7 weeks. Participants were randomly allocated (1:1:1) to one of three treatment arms; usual case management (UC) (n=174), UC plus motivational interviewing (MI) (n=170) and UC plus a stratified vocational advice intervention (SVAI) (n=170). The primary outcome was the number of sickness absence days over 6...months from randomisation. Hypothesised mediators included RTW expectancy and workability assessed 12 weeks after randomisation. Results The mediated effect of the MI arm compared with UC on sickness absence days through RTW expectancy was -4.98 days (-8.89 to -1.04), and workability was -3.17 days (-8.55 to 2.32). The mediated effect of the SVAI arm compared with UC on sickness absence days through RTW expectancy was -4.39 days (-7.60 to -1.47), and workability was -3.21 days (-7.90 to 1.50). The mediated effects for workability were not statistically significant. Conclusions Our study provides new evidence for the mechanisms of vocational interventions to reduce sickness absence related to sick leave due to musculoskeletal conditions. Changing an individual's expectation that RTW is likely may result in meaningful reductions in sickness absence days. © Cashin AG; ..iestad BE; Aanesen F; Storheim K; Tingulstad A; Rysstad TL; Lee H; McAuley JH; Sowden G; Wynne-Jones G; Tveter AT; Grotle M. Occupational & Environmental Medicine. 2023 Mar 02. Purpose Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) remain a challenge despite research aimed at improving their prevention and treatment. Extrinsic feedback has been suggested for the prevention and rehabilitation of WRMSDs to improve sensorimotor control, and ultimately to reduce pain and disability. However, there are few systematic reviews on the effectiveness of extrinsic feedback for WRMSDs. Objective: To perform a systematic review investigating the effect of extrinsic feedback for the prevention and rehabilitation of WRMSDs. Methods Five databases (CINAHL, Embase, Ergonomics Abstract, PsycInfo, PubMed) were searched. Studies of various designs assessing the effects of extrinsic feedback during work tasks on three outcomes (function, symptoms, sensorimotor control) in the context of prevention and rehabilitation of WRMSDs were included. Results Forty-nine studies were included, for a total sample of 3387 participants (including 925 injured) who performed work-related tasks in the workplace (27 studies) or in controlled environments (22 studies). The use of extrinsic feedback was shown to be effective in controlled environments for short-term prevention of functional limitations and sensorimotor alterations (very limited to moderate evidence) and for improving, in injured participants, function, symptoms and sensorimotor control (moderate evidence). In the workplace, it was shown to be effective for short-term prevention of functional limitations (limited evidence). There was conflicting evidence regarding its effect for WRMSD rehabilitation in the workplace. Conclusion Extrinsic feedback is an interesting complementary tool for the prevention and rehabilitation of WRMSDs in controlled environments. More evidence is needed regarding its effect for the prevention and rehabilitation of WRMSDs in the workplace. © Frasie A; Houry M; Plourde C; Robert MT; Bouyer LJ; Roy JS. Work. 2023 Feb 27. Purpose Recovery after fractures due to accidents relates to all aspects of the biopsychosocial model. Therefore, it is difficult for the patients to foresee the consequences of the fractures. This study aimed to examine 1) patients' expectations regarding the impact of the injury on everyday life, 2) predictive validity of their expectations after six months, and 3) factors that predict a return to work. Methods Patients were 18-64 years old and hospitalized with simple or compound/multiple fractures due to an accident. During admission, structured interviews were conducted with a questionnaire covering working conditions, expectations regarding recovery, sports, economy, family, household, and return to work. Additionally, mental and physical status were covered with Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment questionnaire (SMFA) and Short Form 36, and working conditions were uncovered too. After six months, telephonic interviews were conducted with the 164 available patients to elucidate the impact of the fractures on everyday life, their health status, and sick leave. Likelihood ratios, post-test probabilities, and logistic regression analysis were performed to establish if patients' expectations predicted recovery, economy, sports, family, household, and return to work. Results Few patients' baseline expectations about everyday life were met. The likelihood ratios were small, and the post-test probabilities for expectations consistent with outcomes were between 18% and 68%, with recovery as the lowest and participation in sports as the highest. In the multivariate analysis, patients' expectations did not predict short-term (less than two months) or long-term sick leave (more than three months). Self-rated health and the bother index of SMFA were significant short-term and long-term predictors for sick leave. Additionally, vitality, pain, and decision latitude at work predicted sick leave of less than two months. Conclusion A few days after the accident, patients' expectations about everyday life are not associated with outcomes six months later. Likelihood ratios indicate difficulties for the patients in predicting fractures' consequences on various aspects of everyday life. Return to work was associated with self-rated health and the bother index of SMFA. Future research should examine if fracture patients can benefit from comprehensive, individual counseling during admission to set appropriate expectations. © Lindahl M; Juneja H. Injury. 2023 Mar 10. Purpose Upper limb disorders are one of the most common and important types of occupational injuries. Besides, identifying the factors influencing return to work following these injuries is essential to reduce the dimensions of the problem. In this study, we investigated the return to work and associated factors following occupational injuries leading to upper limb impairment. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, the rate of return to work and associated factors were assessed in 256 workers with work-related upper limb injury referred to a teaching hospital from March 2011 to December 2018. The inclusion criterion was a history of occupational injury resulting in upper limb impairment, and exclusion criteria included the presence of simultaneous impairment in other organs, congenital or non-occupational limb defects as well as patients with incomplete information in their medical records. Individuals' records, including age at the time of injury, gender, date of injury, marital status, education, level of amputation and injury, whole person impairment (WPI) and physiotherapy (prescribed by the physician) were reviewed. The WPI was calculated to assess the extent of the injury. All analyzes were performed by SPSS version 25.0. Results The rate of return to work was 54.3%, in which 51.8% for the same job and 48.2% for a new job. The main factors associated with non-return to work were more days off work (p = 0.001), higher injury severity (p = 0.001), and dominant hand injury (p = 0.034). Conclusion The number of days off work, the WPI, and dominant hand injury are the most important determinant in returning to work. In addition, increased job satisfaction and support from co-workers and employers are work-related factors that can lead to an increased return to work. © Hosseininejad M; Javadifar S; Mohammadi S; Mirzamohammadi E. Chinese Journal of Traumatology. 26(2):77-82, 2023 Mar. Purpose The literature predominantly advocates subjective perception of disability and pain as an outcome measure for the functional evaluation of patients with low back pain (LBP). Physical outcome measurements are almost completely ignored. In this systematic review, we focused on physical functional measurements that can contribute to the prediction of patients' return to work (RTW) readiness after sick leave or rehabilitation. Methods Searches were conducted in July 2022 without any time limit in the Cochrane Library, PEDro, PubMed and Scopus databases for functional and clinical tests reliable and applicable in clinical practice without demanding equipment. Two independent researchers extracted the data from the included articles in a standardised data collection form, and a third researcher validated the data extraction. No date restriction was applied. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines in conducting the review. Results We found seven original articles, including six with an impact on predicting RTW. We found four fair and three poor original studies fulfilling our criteria. We found the Back Performance Scale (BPS) and back endurance test to be the most promising tests for occupational health service and the clinical practitioner. Radiation of back pain, with or without neurological deficiencies, had some predictive value in terms of RTW, too. The working conditions vary a lot, which causes inconsistency in the studies and in their interpretation. Conclusion Functional tests could complete the widely used working ability evaluations methods such as the Work Ability Index (WAI) and are worth considering for future research. Overall, more research is needed in this field. The question of when LBP patients can resume everyday activities and work is not possible to determine with functional tests alone. Psychosocial aspects and work demands must be considered. © Hurri H; Vanni T; Muttonen E; Russo F; Iavicoli S; Ristolainen L. International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health. 20(6), 2023 Mar 15. Février 2023 Purpose Return-to-work processes involve many stakeholders who need to cooperate to best support the person on sick leave. Yet, there is little knowledge of how workers sick listed due to back pain experience navigating between stakeholders. This study aimed to explore how Danish workers on sick leave due to back pain experience navigating between the involved stakeholders, focusing on settings related to social work, health care and workplace. Methods Sixteen individual semi-structured interviews were conducted and data analysed using a thematic analysis approach. Results Analysis resulted in three themes. 1) 'Meeting the system" where establishing a positive relationship with the social worker was hampered by a negative perception of the job centre. This perception was initiated by the convening letter and accentuated by physical meetings being experienced as a waste of time. 2) In 'Navigating between systems' some participants lacked support from professionals to navigate the role as messenger between the job centre and health care system. 3) In 'The workplace - a familiar arena' workers experience the workplace as a familiar arena, even if negative decisions were made. Analysis additionally revealed that patients' return-to-work processes could be divided into two types, namely complex and smooth. Conclusion The initial contact from the job centre seems pivotal for the following return-to-work process. The main challenges experienced by sick listed workers were related to the job centre and to being a messenger between job centre and health care, not to their work place and the decisions made there. © Poulsen AG; Rolving N; Hubeishy MH; Ortenblad L. Work. 2023 Feb 03. Purpose Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is increasingly common in younger patients, who are more likely to be working preoperatively. There is a need for an updated review of the literature regarding the rate and time to return to work (RTW), which is important when counseling patients, and also from an economic standpoint. Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature was performed on January 20, 2022, and studies reporting the rate and/or time to RTW after THA were included. Two authors independently selected relevant papers. RTW was extracted and analyzed using fixed-effects or random-effects models where appropriate. Results A total of 48 studies were included in the final analysis. We found that 70.7% of patients were working after primary THA. Among patients who were working before surgery, this rate increases to 87.9%, while 28.1% of patients who were not working preoperatively started working after surgery. Younger patients were more likely to RTW, while patients with a physically demanding job were less likely to RTW. Minimally invasive techniques were reported to yield a higher rate of RTW and an earlier time to RTW. Conclusion We found that the majority of patients return to work after THA, and some patients are able to start working after surgery. Compared to previous reviews, patients seem to have a higher rate and earlier RTW. The overall trend of the literature suggests that patients are returning to work earlier and at a higher rate compared to previous reviews. © Soleimani M; Babagoli M; Baghdadi S; Mirghaderi P; Fallah Y; Sheikhvatan M; Shafiei SH. Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery. 18(1):95, 2023 Feb 12. Purpose Interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation programs (IPRPs) help people with chronic pain improve their health and manage their work; however, the way IPRPs address sick leave could be improved. Although work interventions can be a part of IPRP, it is not well known how and to what extent. This study explores the frequency of work interventions and the characteristics of patients who participate in work interventions as part of IPRP at specialist pain rehabilitation departments in Sweden. In addition, this study explores the association between participation in work interventions and change in patients' self-rated work ability after IPRP. Methods Data from the Swedish quality registry for pain rehabilitation (SQRP), which includes 3809 patients between 2016 and 2018, were analysed with descriptive statistics and regression analyses. Results The results indicate a high participation rate in work interventions (90%). Some differences were evident concerning characteristics of patients who participated in different work interventions. The return-to-work (RTW) plan, the most frequently used work intervention, had the strongest association with change in self-rated work ability after IPRP. However, the effect sizes were small, and the initial score best explained the change. Furthermore, there were differences between employed and unemployed patients and employment had a positive association with change in self-rated work ability. Conclusion More research is needed to understand IPRP's mechanisms and work interventions to support patients with chronic pain, reduce sick leave, and manage work. Employment status needs to be considered and interventions should be tailored to match the individual needs. © Svanholm F; Bjork M; Lofgren M; Gerdle B; Hedevik H; Molander P. Journal of pain research. 16:421-436, 2023. Purpose This metasynthesis contributes to an understanding of the experiences, perceptions, and attitudes of employees on managing chronic musculoskeletal disorders (CMSDs) at work. Many studies in this field are concerned with prevention or return-to-work (RTW) programmes. However, the purpose of this review was to synthesise evidence that only focuses on the employees' management of their CMSDs at work. Methods The SPIDER framework was used to structure the question "How do employees with CMSDs experience the management of their condition in the workplace"? The literature search focused on articles published between 2011 and 2021, and the search was conducted using the following databases: MEDLINE, SCOPUS, CINAHL, AMED, PsycINFO. The review identified nine articles that explored employees' experiences of managing CMSDs at work. Thematic synthesis was used to create analytic themes which provided a more in-depth discussion of these experiences. Results The identified themes were: 'employees actively seek ways to manage their conditions', 'influence of work environment on employees with CMSDs' and 'optimising the relationship between employees and managers. Conclusion This metasynthesis suggests that the ability to negotiate workplace support and manage CMSDs at work is influenced by the cultural and social environment of the organisation. Effective communication, care and trust between the employee is needed. The review also illustrated the need for healthcare professionals to provide support to employees at work. © Skamagki G; Carpenter C; King A; Wåhlin C. Journal of occupational rehabilitation, 2023 Feb 27 Janvier 2023 Purpose Low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent condition frequently leading to disability. Research suggests that self-management (SM) programs for chronic LBP should include strategies to promote sustainable return to work. This study aimed to 1) validate and prioritize the essential content elements of a SM program in light of the needs of workplace representatives, and 2) identify the main facilitators and barriers to be considered when developing and implementing a SM program delivered via information and communication technologies (ICT). Methods A sequential qualitative design was used. We recruited workplace representatives and potential future users of SM programs (union representatives and employers) and collected data through focus groups and nominal group techniques to validate the relevance of the different elements included into 3 broad categories (Understand, Learn, Apply), as well as to highlight potential barriers and facilitators. Results Eleven participants took part in this study. The content elements proposed in the literature for SM programs were found to align with potential future users' needs, with participants ranking the same elements as those proposed in the scientific literature as the most important across all categories. Although some barriers were identified, workplace representatives believed that ICT offer an appropriate strategy for delivering individualized SM programs to injured workers who have returned to work. Conclusion Our study suggests that the elements identified in the literature as essential components of SM programs designed to ensure a sustainable return to work for people with LBP are in line with the needs of future users. ©Tousignant-Laflamme Y; Longtin C; Coutu MF; Gaudreault N; Kairy D; Nastasia I; Leonard G. Work. 2023 Jan 10. Purpose Upper extremity injuries may cause not only physical but also serious social and psychological problems in workers. The aim of this study was to compare demographic and work-related features of persons with hand injuries who sustained a work-related or a non-work-related injury to gain insights into possible predisposing factors for work-related injuries as well as psychosocial consequences of hand injuries from the social work perspective. Methods This case-control study was conducted on 30 work-related and 30 non-work-related hand injury patients. The patients were evaluated using a questionnaire designed by the authors based on the principles of social work involving demographics, work-related features, thought-emotion-behaviour features, family and friend relationships, need for family support and professional psychosocial support. Survey data from both groups were statistically analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square and Fisher Exact test. Results When compared with the non-work-related hand injury group, the majority of the subjects of the work-related hand injury group were blue-collar workers (p= 0.003), had a lower level of education (p < 0.001), worked off-the-clock (p = 0.015), held the employer responsible for the accident (p < 0.001), needed more time to return to work (p = 0.014), were worried about the future (p = 0.045), and expressed loss of joy (p = 0.004). Conclusion Hand injuries, regardless of their relation to work, lead to important psychosocial problems which need to be evaluated widely and carefully focusing on the patient and patient's environment, work environment in this case. © Is EE; Gudek K; Oral A; Sindel D. Work. Jan2023, p1-9. Décembre 2022 Purpose To describe how managers of employees on sick-leave, due to chronic pain conditions, experience participating in a three-party meeting using the Demand and Ability Protocol (DAP) in the return-to-work process. Methods This study is based on individual semi-structured interviews with 17 managers of employees with chronic pain. Interviews were conducted after participating in a three-party meeting including the employee, manager, and a representative from the rehabilitation team. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis with an inductive approach. Results Two main themes were identified - "to converse with a clear structure and setup" and "to be involved in the employee's rehabilitation." The first theme describe experiences from the conversation, and the second theme reflected the managers' insights when being involved in the employee's rehabilitation. The themes comprise 11 sub-themes describing how the DAP conversation and the manager's involvement in the rehabilitation may influence the manager, the manager-employee relationship, and the organization. Conclusions This study show, from a manager's perspective, how having a dialogue with a clear structure and an active involvement in the employee's rehabilitation may be beneficial for the manager-employee relationship. Insights from participating in the DAP may also be beneficial for the organization. A structured dialogue between the employee, employer, and rehabilitation supports the return to work (RTW) process. A structured dialogue and collaboration may strengthen the relationship between the manager and employee. An active engagement of managers in the employees RTW process is beneficial for the manager-employee relationship, and for the organisation. Healthcare professionals should collaborate with the workplace to promote participation of managers. © Aili K; Svartengren M; Danielsson K; Johansson E; Hellman T. Disability & Rehabilitation. 1-10, 2022 Dec 01. Purpose The Demand and Ability Protocol (DAP) is used in three-party meetings involving an employee, an employer, and a representative from the rehabilitation team. The aim of this study is to investigate the inclusion of an intervention using the DAP in an interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation programme (IPRP) compared to usual care. Methods This non-randomised controlled trial included patients assigned to an IPRP in Sweden. The intervention group received a DAP intervention targeting their work situation in addition to the usual care provided by the IPRP. The control group received IPRP only. Outcome measures were collected from the Swedish Quality Registry for Pain Rehabilitation. Results Results demonstrated improvements in both groups regarding self-reported anxiety, depression and EQ5D. Sleep was improved in the intervention group but not in the control group. No statistical differences in outcomes were observed between the groups. Conclusion In conclusion, adding the DAP intervention to IPRP seemed to have the potential to improve sleep among the patients, which may indicate an overall improvement regarding health outcomes from a longer perspective. The results were less clear, however, regarding the work-related outcomes of sickness absence and workability. © Aili K; Hellman T; Svartengren M; Danielsson K. International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health 19(24), 2022 Dec 10. Purpose Conditions affecting the elbow, forearm, wrist, and hand can cause debilitating pain and loss of function in the working population. While there is knowledge about intervention options for this region of the body, there is limited research on systematically identifying the predictors of return to work in this population. Methods A systematic literature review identified all English-language studies that assess predictors of return to work for people with elbow, wrist, and hand conditions from 2009 to 2021 using PRISMA guidelines. Studies that examined exclusively shoulder injuries, randomized control trials, non-human studies, case studies, case reports, case series, and narrative reviews were excluded. Participants of included studies must have a health-related condition of the fingers, wrist, forearm, and elbow that is preventing work participation and must be 16 years and older. Included studies must be observational, longitudinal, and include a return to work outcome. Results Nineteen out of 170 studies were included. Average time away from work varied between seven to 304 days. Positive predictors of early return to work include: demographics, type of injury, type of treatment, work status, physical factors, psychological factors, use of self-reported outcome measures, and self-reported pain. Conclusion Five clinician recommendations were developed based on the findings of our systematic review. Clinicians should consider the type of work, use of outcome measures, psychological factors, hospitalization, and salary. These recommendations are intended to influence the behavior of clinicians when determining prognosis for return to work of people with elbow, wrist, and hand conditions. © Bousfield K; Cheon JY; Harley S; Lampiris-Tremba A; Loseby J; Bianchi N; Barnes A; Escorpizo R. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 32(3):380-413, 2022 09. Purpose The burden of osteoarthritis (OA) has increased steadily due to an aging population, increasing life expectancy, obesity and lifestyle factors. Total hip replacement has become one of the most prevalent and successful operations globally and it is projected that demand will continue to grow as the incidence of OA continues to increase. Patients undergoing the operation expect much-improved function and pain relief but also increasingly need to return to work postoperatively, especially given the growing demand for the procedure and the encouragement of older people to continue working by most governments in the developed world. Results This review provides an overview of function and employment outcomes after hip arthroplasty. Despite the generally good success rate, some patients do not attain good functional outcomes and it is important that we develop ways to identify these patients preoperatively. We describe the effect of demographic, clinical and other factors on functional outcomes, as well as trajectories of physical function and pain recovery beyond the first few weeks after total hip replacement. Regarding employment outcomes, many people in work preoperatively are likely to resume to work after recovery; however, patients feel that they lack guidance from clinicians about returning to work postoperatively. Conclusion Our review encompasses factors associated with return to work, timing of return to work, and potential temporary or permanent limitations that people might experience at work depending on type of employment. © Zaballa E; Dennison E; Walker-Bone K. Maturitas. 167:8-16, 2023 01. Purpose Optimizing return to work after knee arthroplasty is becoming more important because of the growing incidence of KA among workers and poor return to work outcomes. The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility of Back At work After Surgery (BAAS): an integrated clinical pathway for return to work after knee arthroplasty. Method Working patients who received unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA) between January 2021 and November 2021, younger than 65 years and motivated to return to work were eligible to participate. Feasibility was investigated on five domains: reach, dose delivered, dose received, fidelity and patients' attitudes. These outcomes were obtained by a patient-reported questionnaire and an interview with the occupational case manager and medical case manager. Results Of the eligible 29 patients, eleven were willing to participate (response rate 38%; due to travel distance to and from the hospital). The dose delivered was between 91 and 100%, except information given about return to work from the orthopedic surgeon which was 18%. The dose received was 100%. For fidelity, case managers reported nine shortcomings for which five solutions were mentioned. In terms of patients' attitude, all patients were satisfied and one patient mentioned an improvement. In terms of reach, participation was low: only 29%. Conclusions The BAAS clinical pathway seems feasible based on dose delivered, dose received, fidelity and patient attitudes. The next step is to assess the effectiveness of the BAAS clinical pathway for return to work. © Strijbos DO; van der Sluis G; Boymans TAEJ; de Groot S; Klomp S; Kooijman CM; Reneman MF; Kuijer PPFM. Musculoskeletal Care. 20(4):950-959, 2022 Dec. Purpose This systematic review aimed to examine pain, functional status and return to work after a multidisciplinary intervention, with or without additional workplace intervention, for (sub)acute low back pain among adults. Methods A comprehensive search was completed (November 2022) in six electronic databases (Embase, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane, CENTRAL and Scopus) and in the reference list of all identified studies.The search results were screened against predefined eligibility criteria by two independent researchers. Included articles were systematic reviews or randomized controlled trials examining the effect of a multidisciplinary intervention, with or without workplace intervention, in working adults with (sub)acute low back pain. Relevant information was summarized and clustered, and the methodological quality and certainty of evidence were assessed respectively using the RoB 2-tool, the ROBIS tool and the GRADE criteria. Results The search resulted in a total of 3020 articles. After the screening process, 12 studies remained (11 randomized controlled trials and 1 systematic review), which studied overall 2751 patients, with a follow-up period of at least 12 months. Conclusions A multidisciplinary intervention is favorable compared to usual care for pain intensity and functional status but this is less clear for return to work. Comparable work-related effects were found when comparing a multidisciplinary intervention with a less extensive intervention, whereas uncertainties exist regarding outcomes of pain intensity and functional status. Furthermore, adding a workplace intervention to usual care and subdividing patients based on work-related characteristics seems beneficial for return to work. © Bernaers L; Cnockaert E; Braeckman L; Mairiaux P; Willems TM. Clinical Rehabilitation. 2692155221146447, 2022 Dec 26. Purpose Little is known about ability to work after unicompartmental knee replacement (UKR) and total knee replacement (TKR), especially in physically-demanding occupations. This study described rates of return-to-work (RTW) and ability to sustain work by job after arthroplasty. Method Participants from The Clinical Outcomes in Arthroplasty Study (COASt) aged 18-65 were eligible if they underwent UKR or TKR and had at least 5 years' follow-up post-operation. We posted a survey asking about pre-operative occupation, post-operative occupations and associated physical demands, and whether they had quit a job post-surgery due to difficulties with the operated knee (knee-related job loss (KRJL)). We fitted Cox Proportional Hazard Models to investigate the role of demanding physical activities on KRJL. Results 251 people (143 UKR, 108 TKR) returned a questionnaire, of whom 101 UKR and 57 TKR worked post-operatively. Rates of RTW were highest amongst those in managerial and professional or technical roles, whichever operation they received. RTW was poorest amongst those in elementary occupations. In associate professional/technical occupations, RTW rates were better amongst UKR recipients. Amongst participants who returned to work, 17 reported KRJL (8.5% UKR and 16.7% TKR). Respondents were more likely to have KRJL if their job involved carrying/lifting ≥10 kg (HR:4.81, 95%CI 1.55-14.93) or climbing >30 flights of stairs (HR:4.03, 95%CI 1.36-11.98). Conclusions Knee arthroplasty recipients working pre-operatively mostly RTW. RTW may be more difficult after TKR than UKR. Jobs which involve lifting and climbing stairs may be particularly challenging. Surgeons offering knee arthroplasty should counsel patients about workability as well as risk of revision. © Zaballa E; Ntani G; Harris EC; Arden NK; Cooper C; Walker-Bone K, The Knee, 2022 Dec 13; Vol. 40, pp. 245-255. Novembre 2022 Purpose The objective of this systematic review is to quantify the association between recovery expectations and return-to-work outcomes in adults with musculoskeletal pain conditions. In addition, this review has the second objective to compare the predictive utility of single-item and multi-item recovery expectation scales on return-to-work outcomes. Methods Relevant articles were selected from Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed, Cochrane, and manual searches. Studies that assessed recovery expectations as predictors of return-to-work outcomes in adults with musculoskeletal pain conditions were eligible. Data were extracted on study characteristics, recovery expectations, return-to-work outcomes, and the quantitative association between recovery expectations and return-to-work outcomes. Risk of bias was assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project. Odds ratios were pooled to examine the effects of recovery expectations on return-to-work outcomes. Chi-square analyses compared the predictive utility of single-item and multi-item recovery expectation scales on return-to-work outcomes. Results Thirty studies on a total of 28,741 individuals with musculoskeletal pain conditions were included in this review. The odds of being work disabled at follow-up were twice as high in individuals with low recovery expectations (OR = 2.06 [95% CI 1.20-2.92] P < 0.001). Analyses also revealed no significant differences in the predictive value of validated and nonvalidated single-item measures of recovery expectations on work disability (chi 2 = 1.68, P = 0.19). Conclusion There is strong evidence that recovery expectations are associated with return-to-work outcomes. The results suggest that single-item measures of recovery expectations can validly be used to predict return-to-work outcomes in individuals with musculoskeletal pain conditions. © Carriere JS; Donayre Pimentel S; Bou Saba S; Boehme B; Berbiche D; Coutu MF; Durand MJ, Pain. 2022 Sep 26. Purpose Associations between the intensity of physical therapy (PT) treatments and health outcomes among individuals with back pain have been examined in the general population; however, few studies have explored these associations in injured workers. Our study objective was to examine whether intensity of PT treatments is positively associated with work and health outcomes in injured workers with back pain. Methods We conducted a secondary analysis of prospective data collected from the Washington State Workers' Compensation (WC) Disability Risk Identification Study Cohort (D-RISC). D-RISC combined survey results with WC data from the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. Workers with a State Fund WC claim for back injuries between June 2002 and April 2004 and who received PT services within the first year of injury were eligible. Intensity of PT treatment was measured as the type and amount of PT services within 28 days from the first PT visit. Outcome measures included work disability and self-reported measures for working for pay, pain intensity, and functional status at 1-year follow-up. We conducted linear and logistic regression models to test associations. Results We identified 662 eligible workers. In adjusted models, although the intensity of PT treatment was not significantly associated with work disability at 1-year follow-up, it was associated with lower odds of working for pay, decreased pain intensity, and improved functional status. Conclusions Our findings suggest that there may be small benefits from receiving active PT, manual therapy, and frequent PT treatments within 28 days of initiating PT care. © Chin B; Rundell SD; Sears JM; Fulton-Kehoe D; Spector JT; Franklin GM, American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2022 Nov 12. Purpose To evaluate if adding motivational interviewing (MI) or a stratified vocational advice intervention (SVAI) to usual case management (UC), reduced sickness absence over 6 months for workers on sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders. Methods We conducted a three-arm parallel pragmatic randomised controlled trial including 514 employed workers (57% women, median age 49 (range 24-66)), on sick leave for at least 50% of their contracted work hours for ≥7 weeks. All participants received UC. In addition, those randomised to UC+MI were offered two MI sessions from social insurance caseworkers and those randomised to UC+SVAI were offered vocational advice from physiotherapists (participants with low/medium-risk for long-term sickness absence were offered one to two sessions, and those with high-risk were offered three to four sessions). Results Median sickness absence was 62 days, (95% CI 52 to 71) in the UC arm (n=171), 56 days (95% CI 43 to 70) in the UC+MI arm (n=169) and 49 days (95% CI 38 to 60) in the UC+SVAI arm (n=169). After adjusting for predefined potential confounding factors, the results showed seven fewer days in the UC+MI arm (95% CI -15 to 2) and the UC+SVAI arm (95% CI -16 to 1), compared with the UC arm. The adjusted differences were not statistically significant. Conclusions The MI-NAV trial did not show effect on return to work of adding MI or SVAI to UC. The reduction in sickness absence over 6 months was smaller than anticipated, and uncertain due to wide CIs. © Aanesen F; Grotle M; Rysstad TL; Tveter AT; Tingulstad A; Løchting I; Småstuen MC; van Tulder MW; Berg R; Foster NE; Wynne-Jones G; Sowden G; Fors E; Bagøien G; Hagen R; Storheim K; Øiestad BE, Occupational and environmental medicine, 2022 Nov 25. Octobre 2022 Purpose To compare outcomes in employed people from an enhanced routine management pathway for musculoskeletal disorders within National Health Service Scotland with an existing active case-management system, Working Health Services Scotland. Methods The study comprised a service evaluation using anonymised routinely collected data from all currently employed callers presenting with musculoskeletal disorder to the two services. Baseline demographic and clinical data were collected. EuroQol EQ-5DTM scores at the start and end of treatment were compared for both groups, overall and by age, sex, socio-economic status, and anatomical site, and the impact of mental health status at baseline was evaluated. Results Active case-management resulted in greater improvement than enhanced routine care. Case-managed service users entered the programme earlier in the recovery pathway; there was evidence of spontaneous improvement during the longer waiting time of routine service clients but only if they had good baseline mental health. Those most disadvantaged through mental health co-morbidity showed the greatest benefit. Conclusions People with musculoskeletal disorders who have poor baseline mental health status derive greatest benefit from active case-management. Case-management therefore contributes to reducing health inequalities and can help to minimise long-term sickness absence. Shorter waiting times contributed to better outcomes in the case-managed service. Implications for RehabilitationMusculoskeletal disorders are a major cause of inability to work. Case-management is effective in helping people with musculoskeletal disorders to return to work.People who have the poorest mental health are likely to gain the greatest benefit from case-management of their musculoskeletal disorders. © Bergman BP; Demou E; Lewsey J; Macdonald E. Disability & Rehabilitation. 44(17):4648-4655, 2022 08. Purpose Small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) represent 95 % of businesses and are economically essential. When occupational injuries occur, scientific literature suggests that the return-to-work (RTW) success rate is proportional to the size of enterprises and the way the RTW is managed may put workers in SMEs at risk. As most studies on RTW organizational practices have been conducted with large enterprises, little is known about how RTW is managed in SMEs. The aim of this study was to explore SME's organizational practices in the RTW process of workers having suffered an occupational injury. Methods Semi-structured phone interviews were conducted with 15 participants from 3 different stakeholder categories (i.e., SME representatives, workers, and healthcare professionals) in order to explore their experiences regarding RTW in SMEs. Data were analyzed using a phenomenological analysis strategy. Results SMEs' organisational practices evoked by participants gather in three themes: 1) Reducing the risks of occupational injuries (i.e., ensuring injury prevention), 2) Managing occupational injuries (i.e., dealing with the initial occupational injury, handling administrative aspects of work disability, and being actively involved in the RTW process), and 3) Preventing consequences of occupational injuries (i.e., adapting operations following injuries). Conclusion Organizational practices for RTW are used diversely in SMEs. Proposed lines of action adapted to the realities and needs of SMEs may be beneficial to hundreds of thousands of workers, enterprises and professionals involved in the RTW process. © Audet J; Lecours A; Nastasia I. Work. 2022 Oct 03. Septembre 2022 Purpose Multidisciplinary rehabilitation is recommended to reduce sickness absence and disability in patients with subacute or chronic low back pain (LBP). This study aimed to investigate whether a 12-week coordinated work oriented multidisciplinary rehabilitation intervention was effective on return to work and number of days off work during one-year follow-up when compared to usual care. Methods This study is a randomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of a 12-week multidisciplinary vocational rehabilitation program in addition to usual treatment. 770 patients with LBP, who were sick-listed, or at risk of being sick-listed were included in the study. The primary outcome was number of days off work due to LBP. The secondary outcomes were disability, health-related quality of life, pain, psychological distress and fear avoidance behavior. Data were collected at baseline, at the end of treatment, and at 6- and 12-months follow-up. Analyses were carried out according to the "intention-to-treat" principles. Results A significant decrease in the number of patients who were on sick-leave was found in both groups at the end of treatment and at 6- and 12-months follow-up. Additionally, disability, pain, health related quality of life, psychological distress, and fear avoidance beliefs improved in both groups. No statistically significant differences were found between the groups on any of the outcomes. Conclusions The coordinated multidisciplinary intervention had no additional effect on sickness absence, disability, pain, or health related quality of life as compared with that of usual care. © Fisker A, Langberg H, Petersen T, Mortensen OS, BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 23(1): 1-12 Purpose The aim of this study is to investigate whether total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients who consulted an occupational medicine specialist (OMS) within 3 months after surgery, return to work (RTW) earlier than patients who did not consult an OMS. Methods A multi-center prospective cohort study was performed among working TKA patients, aged 18 to 65 years and intending to RTW. Time to RTW was analyzed using Kaplan Meier and Mann Whitney U (MWU), and multiple linear regression analysis was used to adjust for effect modification and confounding. Results One hundred and eighty-two (182) patients were included with a median age of 59 years [IQR 54-62], including 95 women (52%). Patients who consulted an OMS were less often self-employed but did not differ on other patient and work-related characteristics. TKA patients who consulted an OMS returned to work later than those who did not (median 78 versus 62 days, MWU p < 0.01). The effect of consulting an OMS on time to RTW was modified by patients' expectations in linear regression analysis (p = 0.05). A median decrease in time of 24 days was found in TKA patients with preoperative high expectations not consulting an OMS (p = 0.03), not in patients with low expectations. Conclusions Consulting an OMS within 3 months after surgery did not result in a decrease in time to RTW in TKA patients. TKA patients with high expectations did RTW earlier without consulting an OMS. Intervention studies on how OMSs can positively influence a timely RTW, incorporating patients' preoperative expectations, are needed. © van Zaanen Y; Kievit AJ; van Geenen RCI; Pahlplatz TMJ; Hoozemans MJM; Blankevoort L; Schafroth MU; Haverkamp D; Vervest TMJS; Das DHPW; Scholtes VA; van der Beek AJ; Kuijer PPFM, Journal of occupational rehabilitation, 2022 Sep 09 Purpose The objective of this systematic review is to quantify the association between recovery expectations and return-to-work outcomes in adults with musculoskeletal pain conditions. In addition, this review has the second objective to compare the predictive utility of single-item and multi-item recovery expectation scales on return-to-work outcomes. Methods Relevant articles were selected from Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed, Cochrane and manual searches. Studies that assessed recovery expectations as predictors of return-to-work outcomes in adults with musculoskeletal pain conditions were eligible. Data was extracted on study characteristics, recovery expectations, return-to-work outcomes and the quantitative association between recovery expectations and return-to-work outcomes. Risk of bias was assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project. Odds ratios were pooled to examine the effects of recovery expectations on return-to-work outcomes. Chi-square analyses compared the predictive utility of single-item and multi-item recovery expectation scales on return-to-work outcomes. Results Thirty studies on a total of 28,741 individuals with musculoskeletal pain conditions were included in this review. The odds of being work disabled at follow-up were twice as high in individuals with low recovery expectations (OR = 2.06 (95% CI 1.20-2.92) p < .001). Analyses also revealed no significant differences in the predictive value of validated and non-validated single-item measures of recovery expectations on work disability (χ2 = 1.68, p = 0.19). Conclusion There is strong evidence that recovery expectations are associated with return-to-work outcomes. The results suggest that single-item measures of recovery expectations can validly be used to predict return-to-work outcomes in individuals with musculoskeletal pain conditions. © Carrière JS; Pimentel SD; Bou-Saba S; Boehme B; Berbiche D; Coutu MF; Durand MJ, Pain, 2022 Sep 26 Purpose This study aimed to identify trajectories of sickness absence in workers on sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders and explore the association between these trajectories and established prognostic factors for sickness absence. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study of 549 workers (56% women, aged 18-67 years) on sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders in Norway in 2018-2019. Sickness absence data were collected from the Norwegian sick leave registry and prognostic factors via self-reported baseline questionnaires. We used group-based trajectory modelling to define the different trajectories of sickness absence spanning a 1-year period. Multivariable multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for prognostic factors associated with the identified trajectory groups. Results We identified six distinct trajectories of sickness absence over 1 year: 'fast decrease' (27% of the cohort): 'moderate decrease' (22%); 'slow decrease' (12%); 'u-shape' (7%); 'persistent moderate' (13%); and 'persistent high' (18%). Prognostic factors, such as previous sickness absence days, return-to-work expectancy, workability, multisite pain, and health scores, differentiated between the sickness absence trajectories (all P < 0.05). Negative return-to-work expectancy was associated with the three trajectory groups with the highest number of sickness absence days ('slow decrease', 'persistent moderate', and 'persistent high'). Conclusions This is the first study to explore the association of return-to-work expectancy with trajectories of sickness absence. Our findings highlight different patterns of sickness absence and the complex range of prognostic factors. These findings have implications for secondary and tertiary prevention strategies for work absence in workers with musculoskeletal disorders. © Rysstad T; Grotle M; Aasdahl L; Dunn KM; Tveter AT, Journal of occupational rehabilitation, 2022 Sep 14 Août 2022 Purpose Spinal surgeries to treat chronic low back pain (CLBP) have variable success rates, and despite the significant personal and socioeconomic implications, we lack consensus for prognostic factors. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the evidence for preoperative predictors of return to work (RTW) after spinal surgery for CLBP. Methods We searched electronic databases and references (January 1984 to March 2021), screened 2,622 unique citations, and included 8 reports (5 low and 3 high risk-of-bias) which involved adults with >=3 months duration of CLBP with/without leg pain undergoing first elective lumbar surgery with RTW assessed >=3 months later. Results Narrative synthesis and meta-analysis where possible found that individuals less likely to RTW were older (odds ratio [OR] = .58; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.46-0.72), not working before surgery, had longer sick leave (OR = .95; 95% CI: 0.93-0.97), higher physical workload, legal representation (OR = .61; 95% CI: 0.53-0.71), psychiatric comorbidities and depression (moderate quality-of-evidence, QoE), and longer CLBP duration and opioid use (low QoE), independent of potential confounders. Low quality and small number of studies limit our confidence in other associations. In conclusion, RTW after spinal surgery for CLBP likely depends on sociodemographic and affective psychological factors, and potentially also on symptom duration and opioid use. Conclusion This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizes and evaluates existing evidence for preoperative predictors of return to work after spinal surgery for chronic low back pain. Demonstrated associations between return to work and sociodemographic, health-related, and psychological factors can inform clinical decision-making and guide further research. © Halicka M; Duarte R; Catherall S; Maden M; Coetsee M; Wilby M; Brown C. Journal of Pain. 23(8):1318-1342, 2022 Aug. Purpose Road traffic injuries (RTIs), primarily musculoskeletal in nature, are the leading cause of unintentional injury worldwide, incurring significant individual and societal burden. Investigation of a large representative cohort is needed to validate early identifiable predictors of long-term work incapacity post-RTI. Therefore, up until two years post-RTI we aimed to: evaluate absolute occurrence of return-to-work (RTW) and occurrence by injury compensation claimant status; evaluate early factors (e.g., biopsychosocial and injury-related) that influence RTW longitudinally; and identify factors potentially modifiable with intervention (e.g., psychological distress and pain). Methods Prospective cohort study of 2019 adult participants, recruited within 28 days of a non-catastrophic RTI, predominantly of mild-to-moderate severity, in New South Wales, Australia. Biopsychosocial, injury, and compensation data were collected via telephone interview within one-month of injury (baseline). Work status was self-reported at baseline, 6-, 12-, and 24-months. Analyses were restricted to participants who reported paid work pre-injury (N = 1533). Type-3 global p-values were used to evaluate explanatory factors for returning to 'any' or 'full duties' paid work across factor subcategories. Modified Poisson regression modelling was used to evaluate factors associated with RTW with adjustment for potential covariates. Results Only ~ 30% of people with RTI returned to full work duties within one-month post-injury, but the majority (76.7%) resumed full duties by 6-months. A significant portion of participants were working with modified duties (~ 10%) or not working at all (~ 10%) at 6-, 12-, and 24-months. Female sex, low education, low income, physically demanding occupations, pre-injury comorbidities, and high injury severity were negatively associated with RTW. Claiming injury compensation in the fault-based scheme operating at the time, and early identified post-injury pain and psychological distress, were key factors negatively associated with RTW up until two years post-injury. Conclusions Long-term work incapacity was observed in 20% of people following RTI. Our findings have implications that suggest review of the design of injury compensation schemes and processes, early identification of those at risk of delayed RTW using validated pain and psychological health assessment tools, and improved interventions to address risks, may facilitate sustainable RTW. © Papic C; Kifley A; Craig A; Grant G; Collie A; Pozzato I; Gabbe B; Derrett S; Rebbeck T; Jagnoor J; Cameron ID. BMC Public Health. 22(1):1498, 2022 08 05. Purpose Occupational accidents may lead laborers to lose their working capacities, affecting their physical and mental health. Occupational rehabilitation helps improve the ability of patients with occupational accidents and suggests appropriate jobs to avoid second injuries. This study aimed to identify whether any of the functional capacity evaluation (FCE) strength subtests predicted successful return to work. Methods Data were collected of 84 patients receiving government-subsidized occupational rehabilitation between September 2016 and December 2018. A structured questionnaire was employed for pre- and post-training assessment, including basic information, information of the occupational accident, status of the laborer at the opening of the injury case, physical requirement for the job, and physical capacity. Eight subtests of strength were included in the physical capacity evaluation, i.e., carrying, lifting to several levels, power grip, and lateral pinch, to explore the association between the strength tests and return to work. Results The unadjusted model showed that for every additional kilogram in bilateral carrying strength before work hardening training, the odds of successful return to work increased (crude odds ratio [OR] = 1.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01-1.24, p = 0.027). After adjustment for basic demographic information and pre-accident physical functional elements of work, the odds of successful return to work increased (adjusted OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.04-1.54, p = 0.02) for every additional kilogram in the pre-training bilateral carrying strength. There were no statistically significant differences observed in the other seven subtests. Conclusion Through thorough evaluation and work hardening training provided in the occupational rehabilitation, patients' physical capacity can be understood and improved. However, a full evaluation of functional capacities is prolonged and time-consuming. This study provides evidence that pre-work-hardening bilateral carrying strength may be a promising predictor of return to work and we recommend to consider it as a prioritized test to assist in determining appropriate advice regarding return to work. © Yang CL; Yin YR; Chu CM; Tang PL. BMC Public Health. 22(1):1472, 2022 08 02. Juillet 2022 Purpose Upper extremity injuries may prevent adults from returning to work, impacting productivity, and engagement in meaningful employment. The scoping review identified various non-physical factors that impact return to work (RTW) after an upper extremity injury. Methods Database searches included: CINAHL, PsycINFO, PubMed, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. The authors further hand searched the journals Work and The Journal of Hand Therapy. Inclusion criteria included articles published in English, published from 2000–2020, and addressed the following topics: upper extremity injury, the client's psychosocial perceptions of the injury, and return to work. Results After title and abstract review, 9 studies were identified for full-text review that examined various patterns related to non-physical factors that impact RTW. Three themes emerged from the full-text reviews including client self-efficacy, social determinants of health, and the need for holistic intervention approaches. Conclusion Practitioners involved in the rehabilitation of working age clients with upper extremity injuries should remain cognizant of the non-physical factors that can impact return to work and incorporate holistic approaches like monitoring and addressing self-efficacy, psychosocial well-being, and social determinants of health into clinical practice. © Gerg MJ; Hazak KM; Carrie BR; Melendez N; Jewell VD. Work. Jul 2022, p1-14. Juin 2022 Purpose This study aims to paint a picture of the factors that influence the process of rehabilitation, return, and stay at work, for aging workers who have suffered an occupational injury. Methods Based on a descriptive interpretative research design, the authors conducted interviews with 23 participants (i.e., aging workers, workers' representatives, employers, insurers, and rehabilitation professionals) to gather their perspectives. Qualitative data was analyzed through thematic analysis. Results Fifteen factors related to the worker, health system, workplace, or compensation system were identified. These factors prevail during rehabilitation, return to work, stay at work, or the entire process. Conclusions This study contributes to the advancement of knowledge regarding three main ideas: (1) the importance of not placing the responsibility on the worker in this complex process, (2) the key role of the compensation system, and (3) the necessity of transforming work to reduce ageism. © Lecours A; Laliberte M; Lord MM; Leonard G; Ruel J. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2022 May 23. Purpose There is strong evidence that social support is an important determinant of return to work (RTW). Little is known about the role of social support in RTW after total hip or knee arthroplasty (THA/TKA). Objective was to examine the influence of preoperative and postoperative perceived social support on RTW status 6 months postoperatively. Methods Design: A prospective multicentre cohort study was conducted. Setting: Orthopaedic departments of four Dutch medical centres; a tertiary university hospital, two large teaching hospitals and a general hospital. Participants: Patients planned to undergo THA/TKA, aged 18-63 and employed preoperatively were included. Main outcome and measures: Questionnaires were filled out preoperatively and 3 and 6 months postoperatively and included questions to assess patients' perceived social support targeting three sources of social support: from home (friends, family), from work (coworkers, supervisors) and from healthcare (occupational physician, general practitioner, other caregivers). Control variables included age, gender, education, type of arthroplasty and comorbidities. RTW was defined as having fully returned to work 6 months postoperatively. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results Enrolled were 190 patients (n=77 THA, n=113 TKA, median age was 56 years, 56% women). The majority returned to work (64%). Preoperatively, social support from the occupational physician was associated with RTW (OR 2.53, 95% CI 1.15 to 5.54). Postoperatively, social support from the occupational physician (OR 3.04, 95% CI 1.43 to 6.47) and the supervisor (OR 2.56, 95% CI 1.08 to 6.06) was associated with RTW. Conclusions This study underscores the importance of work-related social support originating from the occupational physician and supervisor in facilitating RTW after primary THA/TKA, both preoperatively and postoperatively. Further research is needed to confirm our results and to understand the facilitating role of social support in RTW, as arthroplasty is being performed on a younger population for whom work participation is critical. © Kamp T; Stevens M; Van Beveren J; Rijk PC; Brouwer R; Bulstra S; Brouwer S. BMJ Open. 12(5):e059225, 2022 May 27. Purpose To explore how patients who participate in an interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation program (IPRP) experience a three-party meeting based on the Demand and Ability Protocol (DAP) to assist in return to work (RTW). The DAP is a employee and his/her immediate manager under the guidance of medical staff with knowledge of the patient's work requirements and his/her current functional ability. Methods Data included 18 semi structured individual interviews with persons having chronic pain, who participated in a DAP-dialogue during their IPRP. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Results Four themes were identified: A structured dialogue facilitated new insights; the dialogue enabled employer participation; the facilitator enabled experiences of feeling safe during the dialogue; and the dialogue created a link between rehabilitation and work. Conclusions The DAP dialogue was experienced as a supportive measure for RTW where the employer naturally participated in IPRP. The structure of the dialogue supported concrete planning for workplace adaptations. Furthermore, the dialogue enabled a connection between rehabilitation and the activity of work in everyday life. The results reinforce the importance of including efforts close to the workplace in IPRP in order to facilitate rehabilitation outcomes related to RTW. Implications for rehabilitation: A structured collaboration and dialogue between the employee, employer, and rehabilitation supports the RTW process. Collaboration between stakeholders is important and should be intertwined in IPRP to jointly facilitate the employee's RTW. Clarifying the work demands provides motivation for the RTW process. Healthcare professionals should collaborate with the workplace to promote employer participation. © Johansson E; Svartengren M; Danielsson K; Hellman T. Disability & Rehabilitation. 1-8, 2022 Jun 10. Purpose For many workers suffering from chronic low back pain (CLBP), the main challenge after a disabling episode is not returning to work in itself, but rather sustaining this reinstatement. The goal of this study was to identify key elements that should be included in a self-management (SM) program in order to facilitate a sustainable return to work for patients suffering from LBP. Methods We conducted a mapping review to examine the current evidence surrounding this issue in four databases (CINAHL, PudMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library). Key content elements of SM programs, as well as facilitators/barriers associated with sustainable RTW were extracted and analysed. Results Only three studies that met our eligibility criteria. Results from these studies suggest that, in the context of RTW, the two most valuable components of an SM program are educational materials and strategies specifically tailored to the work context. Conclusions Among this admittedly scarce evidence, we were able to identify valuable elements that should be included in SM programs in order to promote a sustainable RTW. Additional studies assessing the effectiveness of both current SM programs and programs developed based on our recommendations will be called for to further support our results. © Tousignant-Laflamme Y; Longtin C; Coutu MF; Gaudreault N; Kairy D; Nastasia I; Leonard G. European Journal of Physiotherapy. Jun2022, Vol. 24 Issue 3, p164-173. Purpose To examine the impact of pre-existing anxiety and depression disorders on return to work (RTW) using a phase-based approach. Methods Accepted lost-time workers' compensation claims for upper limb or spine strain or sprain from 2009 to 2013 were extracted for workers in the Canadian province of British Columbia (n = 78,186). Pre-existing anxiety and depression disorders were identified using health claims data. Probability of RTW following a first or second work lost-time episode was analyzed using Prentice, Williams and Peterson models for recurrent events (common hazards ratios (cHR)). Probability of a first lost-time recurrence was analyzed using Cox models (HR). All models included two years of follow up and were stratified by gender. Results For men, anxiety alone (cHR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.85 to 0.94) or comorbid with depression (cHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92 to 0.99) was significantly associated with a lower probability of RTW, and comorbid anxiety and depression with a higher probability of recurrence (HR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.48). In women, comorbid anxiety and depression was significantly associated with a lower probability of RTW (cHR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.93 to 0.99) and a higher probability of recurrence (HR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.28); and anxiety alone with a higher probability of recurrence (HR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.09 to 1.43). There was little evidence that depression alone was associated with RTW or recurrence. Conclusions Workers with a pre-existing anxiety disorder may require additional supports both during lost-time and after initial RTW. © Jones AM; Koehoorn M; Bultmann U; McLeod CB. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2022 Jun 06. Avril 2022 Purpose The aim of this scoping review was to synthesize the literature addressing the competencies that physiotherapists in a clinical setting need to facilitate the rehabilitation, work participation, and return to work of workers with musculoskeletal disorders. Methods We conducted a scoping review in accordance with Arksey & O'Malley's five-step method. The following categories of keywords were used during searches in Embase, Medline and CINAHL in May 2020: (1) physiotherapy/physical therapy; (2) return to work, work participation or occupational health; and (3) education/professional competencies/guidelines. Two authors reviewed the full-text papers and agreed on the selection of articles for inclusion. The selected articles were then charted in an Excel grid and descriptively analyzed. Results Three main categories of competencies were identified: (1) Understanding and interacting with patients who are workers; (2) Planning rehabilitation with other stakeholders; and (3) Reaching out to the workplace. The fourth category named "Obstacles to the development of work-related competencies", regroups several obstacles that were identified as potentially impeding the development of work-related competencies by physiotherapists. Conclusion The findings of this scoping review inform physiotherapy clinicians, educators and regulators on the specific knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes that appear to play a role in facilitating the rehabilitation of workers with musculoskeletal disorders. We trust that this study will lead to new initiatives that will define, implement and evaluate the effectiveness of these competencies in practice, along with rekindling the discussions about the place of work rehabilitation in the physiotherapy profession. © St-Georges M, Hutting N, Hudon A, Journal of occupational rehabilitation, 2022 Apr 06 Purpose Hip arthroscopy is a procedure commonly performed to correct various hip pathologies such as femoroacetabular impingement and labral tears. These hip pathologies commonly affect young, otherwise healthy patients. The recovery after hip arthroscopy can prevent patients from returning to work and impair performance levels, having significant economic repercussions. To date, there has been no cumulative analysis of the existing literature on return to work after hip arthroscopy.The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review of the existing literature regarding return to work after hip arthroscopy and analysis of factors associated with the ability to return to work and time to return to work. Study Design Systematic review and meta-analysis; Level of evidence, 4. Methods A literature search of the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases was performed based on the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Studies assessing functional outcomes and return to work, including return to military duty, after hip arthroscopy were included. Patients' ability to return to work, as well as time to return, was compared between selected studies. Where available, workers' compensation status as well as type of work was compared. All statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, Version 22. P < .05 was considered statistically significant. Results Twelve studies with 1124 patients were included. Patients were followed for an average of 17.6 months. Using weighted means, the average rate of return to work was 71.35%, while full return to previous work duties was achieved at a rate of 50.89%. Modification to work duties was required at a rate of 15.48%. On average, the time to return to work was 115 days (range, 17-219 days). Rate of return by patients with workers' compensation status was found to be 85.15% at an average of 132 days (range, 37-211 days). Rate of return to work in workers performing professions reported as strenuous vs light (ie, mostly sedentary) jobs showed a statistically higher return to work in light professions (risk ratio, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.41-0.69). Conclusion After hip arthroscopy, there is a high rate of return to work at an average of 115 days after surgery. However, full return to work was achieved by only half of patients upon final follow-up. © Blaeser AM, Mojica ES, Mannino BJ, Youm T, The American journal of sports medicine, 2022 Apr 06, pp. 3635465211064271
Properties of muscle tissue Muscle tissue possesses several important properties that allow it to carry out its functions effectively. Here are some key properties of muscle tissue: - Excitability (Responsiveness): Muscle tissue can receive and respond to stimuli, such as electrical or chemical signals, by initiating a contraction. This property allows muscle cells to react to signals from the nervous system or other stimuli. - Contractility: Muscle tissue can contract forcefully when stimulated. The contractile proteins within muscle cells, actin and myosin, interact to generate tension and produce muscle contractions. This property enables muscle tissue to exert force and create movement. - Extensibility: Muscle tissue can be stretched or extended without being damaged. It can undergo lengthening or stretching to accommodate movement in the opposite direction of contraction. - Elasticity: Muscle tissue has the ability to return to its original shape and length after being stretched or contracted. This property allows for the efficient transmission of forces and helps maintain muscle structure and function. - Plasticity (Adaptability): Muscle tissue can adapt and change in response to demands placed upon it. Regular physical activity and exercise can lead to muscle growth and increased strength through a process called hypertrophy. Conversely, prolonged inactivity or disuse can lead to muscle wasting or atrophy. - Conductivity: Muscle tissue can conduct electrical impulses along its fibers. This property is essential for coordinated muscle contractions and allows for the transmission of signals from the nervous system to the muscle tissue. - Metabolic Activity: Muscle tissue has a high metabolic rate and requires a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients to sustain its contraction and energy production. Muscle tissue stores and utilizes energy sources like glycogen and fat to meet its energy demands. These properties collectively enable muscle tissue to generate force, produce movement, maintain posture, regulate body temperature, and carry out essential functions throughout the body. Each type of muscle tissue (skeletal, cardiac, and smooth) exhibits these properties to varying degrees, reflecting their specific roles and locations in the body.
Aware of the leverage that geospatial sciences and technologies represent in the socio-economic development of a country, Senegal continues to increase its efforts in this area. It is within this framework that the French Embassy and the Interinstitutional Group for Coordination and Consultation in Geomatics of Senegal (GICC) chaired by Senegal Numerique designed the project SEN Spatial to support the ecosystem for the production and use of spatial data and make Senegal a true regional space hub. Project SEN Spatial aims to support Senegal in the implementation of its National Geomatics Plan (PNG) to serve the innovation ecosystem dedicated to the use of satellite data. It will strengthen human capital and develop a business environment conducive to the emergence of new economic activities that generate jobs and progress. SEN Spatial will thus contribute to making Senegal a leading space country in West Africa. The project is structured around 04 major components for a duration of 02 years. These components are: In component one, it will be a question of strengthening human capital in the area of the use of satellite data and consolidating the visibility of university training in order to increase their attractiveness. Scholarships for a Master's degree in geomatics will be set up in this regard. In this part it will be a question of increasing the capacity of access to satellite data through the Geospatial Data Infrastructure of Senegal, in order to facilitate its use by the ecosystem and all the stakeholders concerned. In the background, there is an imperative to regularly update the Géo Senegal portal. Raising awareness and training authorities and private actors in the use of satellite data to support the emergence and development of innovative products and services will be accompanied by the organization of meetings aimed at promoting inclusion with Start-ups. Raising awareness among the general public of the scope of satellite data in their daily lives and increasing the attractiveness of STEM among young people remains an essential component of this project. These 04 components which will serve as guidelines over the entire duration of the project will be enriched by the prospects of thematic workshops to which the actors of the ecosystem will be invited with the objective of continuous capacitation until the completion of the project. This was the whole meaning of the organization of the sharing workshop which was held in the premises of the Ecological Monitoring Center (CSE) from October 02 to 04, 23 with the theme "Workshops for identifying the needs of the public sector around the use of satellite data in Senegal with Space Seed", working session model to refine and support the implementation of the project.
As a naturopath, I've helped patients find relief from seasonal allergies without relying solely on medication. While conventional antihistamines can be effective, they often come with side effects like drowsiness and dry mouth. Thankfully, nature provides a treasure trove of remedies that can alleviate allergy symptoms and improve your quality of life. Key Takeaways What are seasonal allergies? \| An overreaction of the immune system to airborne allergens like pollen. \| What are common symptoms? \| Runny nose, sneezing, itchy eyes, congestion, and postnasal drip. \| Can seasonal allergies be treated naturally? \| Yes, several natural approaches can effectively manage symptoms. \| What are some natural remedies for seasonal allergies? \| Local honey, herbal supplements (quercetin, stinging nettle, butterbur), nasal saline rinses, dietary modifications (vitamin C, omega-3 fatty acids), and lifestyle changes (avoiding triggers, air purifiers). \| Understanding Seasonal Allergies Seasonal allergies, also known as allergic rhinitis, occur when your immune system mistakes harmless airborne particles like pollen, dust mites, or mold spores for dangerous invaders. This triggers the release of histamines, chemicals that cause inflammation in your nose, eyes, and throat, leading to a cascade of unpleasant symptoms like: - Runny or stuffy nose - Sneezing - Itchy, watery eyes - Congestion - Postnasal drip - Coughing Natural Approaches to Tame Your Allergies The good news is that you don't have to suffer through allergy season. Here's a guide to explore natural remedies and lifestyle changes that can bring welcome relief: Harness the Power of Local Honey: Consuming local honey, produced by bees that forage on the same pollen types plaguing you, may introduce small amounts of allergens into your system. This can help build tolerance and reduce symptoms over time. Aim for a tablespoon daily, but remember, this remedy is not suitable for infants under one year old. - Explore the World of Herbal Supplements: Several herbs boast natural antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties that can significantly improve allergy symptoms. Consider these options: - Quercetin: A potent antioxidant found in fruits and vegetables like apples, onions, and berries, quercetin may stabilize the release of histamines, reducing allergy severity. - Stinging Nettle: This leafy wonder, despite its name, is a safe and effective herbal remedy. Studies suggest stinging nettle can alleviate allergy symptoms like sneezing, itching, and runny nose. - Butterbur: This lesser-known herb has shown promise in reducing allergy symptoms in several clinical trials. - Dietary Modifications for Overall Well-Being: What you eat can significantly impact your allergies. Here's how to adjust your diet for optimal allergy management: - Increase Vitamin C Intake: Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that can help reduce inflammation and boost your immune system's response. Load up on citrus fruits, berries, and leafy greens. - Embrace Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3s possess potent anti-inflammatory properties that can help combat allergy symptoms. Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines are excellent sources. - Lifestyle Changes Make a Difference: Beyond dietary tweaks, a few lifestyle modifications can significantly reduce your exposure to allergens: - Identify and Avoid Triggers: Pinpoint the triggers that worsen your allergies, whether it's specific types of pollen, dust mites, or mold. Take steps to minimize exposure. Keep windows closed during high pollen count days, use mite-proof covers on bedding, and address any mold issues in your home. - Embrace Air Purifiers: HEPA air purifiers can trap allergens circulating in your home, creating a cleaner breathing environment. Frequently Asked Questions About Natural Allergy Solutions Here are some of the most frequently asked questions I receive about managing seasonal allergies naturally: How long does it take for natural remedies to work? While some remedies like nasal rinses offer immediate relief, others like local honey and herbal supplements may take several weeks to show a noticeable improvement. Consistency is key! Can natural remedies completely replace medication? Natural approaches can be highly effective for many people. However, for severe allergies, medication may still be necessary. The ideal approach often involves a combination of natural remedies and conventional medicine, tailored to your individual needs. Are there any side effects to natural remedies? While generally safe, some herbal supplements can interact with medications. It's crucial to consult with your doctor before starting any new supplements, especially if you have any underlying health conditions or are taking prescription medications. What other natural strategies can help with allergies? Probiotics: Emerging research suggests a link between gut health and allergies. Maintaining a healthy gut microbiome with probiotic supplements or probiotic-rich foods like yogurt and kefir may offer some relief. Nasal Sprays with Essential Oils: Certain essential oils, like peppermint oil, possess anti-inflammatory properties that may help soothe nasal congestion. However, use caution and dilute them properly with carrier oils before applying topically. Steam Therapy: Inhaling warm steam can loosen mucus and ease congestion. Take a hot shower, breathe over a bowl of hot water, or use a humidifier to add moisture to the air. - Acupuncture: Studies suggest acupuncture may provide some relief from allergy symptoms. While the exact mechanism isn't fully understood, it's thought to help regulate the immune system. Local Honey Local honey is believed to help with seasonal allergies because it contains trace amounts of pollen from the local area. The idea is that consuming this honey may help your body get used to the pollen and reduce your allergic reactions. Here are some ways to incorporate local honey into your daily routine: - Add a spoonful to your morning tea or coffee. - Use it as a sweetener in homemade salad dressings and marinades. - Spread it on toast for a sweet and healthy breakfast. Herbal Supplements Certain herbs are known for their anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties, which can be beneficial for people with allergies. Some of these include: - Stinging Nettle: This plant has been used for centuries to treat allergy symptoms. It can be consumed as a tea or in capsule form. - Butterbur: Studies have shown that butterbur can be as effective as some antihistamine drugs. It's often taken in pill form. - Quercetin: This is a natural plant compound that can help stabilize the release of histamines and reduce allergy symptoms. It's found in many fruits and vegetables, but can also be taken as a supplement. Saline Nasal Rinses A saline nasal rinse, or nasal irrigation, can help clear your nasal passages of allergens and irritants. This can be particularly helpful during allergy season. Here's how to do a saline nasal rinse: - Mix 3 teaspoons of iodide-free salt with 1 teaspoon of baking soda. - Put 1 teaspoon of this mixture into 1 cup of lukewarm distilled water. - Use a bulb syringe or neti pot to squirt the solution into one nostril while holding the other one closed. - Let the solution drain out, then repeat on the other nostril. There are several other natural remedies that can help alleviate symptoms of seasonal allergies: Dietary Changes: More than 70% of your immune system resides in your gut. What you eat supports the microbiome in your belly. So, keeping that gut flora healthy can help your immune system better handle allergens. Common food sensitivities to gluten, dairy, and sugar can lead to immune system dysregulation. Adding probiotics to your diet is a good start. Exercise: Regular exercise may be one of the most effective ways to help decrease allergic reactions, including respiratory allergies. Nasal Irrigation: Nasal irrigation, also called nasal rinse or saline lavage, is often used by people who have allergies with respiratory symptoms. Vitamin C and Vitamin D: These vitamins are known to boost the immune system and can help in managing allergy symptoms. Omega-3 Fatty Acids: These are known to have anti-inflammatory properties and can help manage allergy symptoms. Probiotics and Prebiotics: These can help in maintaining a healthy gut microbiome, which is crucial for a healthy immune system. Black Cumin Seed Oil: There is limited scientific research to indicate they may help reduce allergy attacks or provide relief from symptoms. - Air Filtering: Filtering the air inside of your home can eliminate dander, dust, and pollen particles that can make your allergies go haywire. Seasonal allergies don't have to hold you hostage. By incorporating these natural remedies and lifestyle changes into your routine, you can experience significant relief and breathe easy throughout allergy season. Remember, I am a naturopath and this information is intended for educational purposes only. It's always best to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new supplement or treatment plan.
Emergencies and disasters are always unexpected, and unfortunately, most people are usually unprepared! However, the best way you can be more prepared is to create an at-home emergency food kit. It's inexpensive, simple, and is guaranteed to give you a large degree of peace of mind. In this article, we'll show you exactly how to go about compiling your DIY emergency kit and everything you need to make it! We'll cover: - The steps you need to take to make your DIY emergency food kit - A sample 1-month food kit for two people - Knowing how many months of food you should store. Let's get into it! Steps to Make Your DIY Emergency Food Supply Before you get to work putting together your DIY emergency food kit, you'll want to get a few things planned out first to ensure your kit will last and that it has all the necessary items. This includes determining what specific foods you will need, ensuring they are fit to last in an emergency kit, and knowing to keep your emergency kit well-maintained. Let's go over each step you need to take in more detail! 1. Determine your basic needs In order to get to work compiling supplies for your kit, it's important that you first think about any specific needs you and your family may have. Perhaps someone in your family has a dietary intolerance or allergy or other specific dietary requirements. You may also have a baby in the family, in which case you will need to ensure you have the appropriate baby formula or baby food! You will also need to consider your nutritional needs throughout the day; perhaps you are someone who is particularly active and requires more calories. You will also need to consider ensuring you get enough nutrients such as protein and vitamins. Once you have determined your and your family's needs, you will be ready to select the specific food items for your kit. 2. Choose your food items When it comes to selecting your food items, you need to ensure you have all the major food groups covered. Your kit should also contain foods that have a long shelf life, are nutritionally dense, and are easy to prepare in emergency situations. You may include frozen food in your kit, but these will need to be the first eaten when the emergency occurs. Remember to include in your kit a can opener, and equipment such as a gas cooker to heat food! Some great options for protein are canned tuna or fish, canned beef, canned beans or lentils, dried beans or lentils, beef jerky, peanut butter, and powdered milk. Fruit and vegetables can be accounted for through canned options. For example, you can stock up on canned beetroot, corn, beans, peas, and mushrooms when it comes to vegetables. Canned fruits can include pineapple, peaches, apricots, and cherries. Don't forget other essential items such as coffee, tea, sugar, salt, and condiments! You will also need enough water to last at least 3 days. 3. Store your food properly To get the best shelf life out of your kit, you need to ensure that it is stored properly. This involves ensuring that the kit is stored in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight. Dried goods should be in airtight containers. Once opened, canned goods need to be transferred to another non-metallic container and should not be kept for more than a few days refrigerated. If there is no method of refrigeration, then the goods need to be eaten immediately. 4. Keep your emergency kit up to date To ensure your emergency kit stays up-to-date and safe to consume, there are a couple of things you can do periodically. The first is to check all cans for any signs of rusting, bulging, or leaking which will compromise the safety of the food. Additionally, ensure that all food is still within its best-before date – and replace those that are not! Sample 1-month Emergency Food Kit for Two People Now that you have a basic understanding of how to put together an emergency food kit, let's take a look at what a sample food kit would look like. Here's an example of what could be found in an emergency food kit for two people that would last approximately one month: Food Item \| Quantity \| People \| Single Serving Size \| Calories Per Serving \| Nutrients \| Powdered milk \| 2 kg \| 2 \| 250ml \| 155 \| Protein, calcium \| Protein Bars \| 4 packets \| 2 \| 1 bar \| 150 \| Protein, carbohydrates \| Peanut Butter \| 2 jars \| 2 \| 1 tbsp \| 120 \| Protein, fats \| Crackers \| 4 packs \| 2 \| 4 crackers \| 120 \| Carbohydrates \| Oats \| 2 packs \| 2 \| 1 cup \| 300 \| Protein, carbohydrates \| Canned Fruit \| 30 cans \| 2 \| 1 cup \| 75 \| Vitamins, carbohydrates \| Rice \| 8 kg \| 2 \| 1 cup \| 360 \| Carbohydrates \| Pasta \| 8 kg \| 2 \| 1 cup \| 360 \| Carbohydrates, protein \| Tomato Pasta Sauce \| 8 jars \| 2 \| 100g \| 45 \| Vitamins \| Canned Beans \| 20 \| 2 \| 75g \| 50 \| Protein, Vitamins and Minerals \| Dried Lentils \| 2 kg \| 2 \| 50g \| 200 \| Protein, Vitamins and Minerals \| Canned Tuna \| 20 cans \| 2 \| 95g \| 80 \| Protein, Minerals \| Canned Chicken \| 20 cans \| 2 \| 95g \| 100 \| Protein, Minerals \| Cookies \| 4 packets \| 2 \| 25g \| 120 \| Carbohydrates \| Soup packets \| 30 packets \| 2 \| 300g \| 200 \| Vitamins, Minerals \| Canned stew \| 20 cans \| 2 \| 250g \| 120 \| Vitamins, Minerals \| Canned Vegetables \| 30 cans \| 2 \| 75g \| 50 \| Vitamins \| Milo \| 1 kg \| 2 \| 20g \| 80 \| Carbohydrates \| How Many Months of Food Items Should I Store? At this point, you might be wondering how many weeks or months your emergency food kit should last you. Everyone should have an emergency kit for at least 3 days, though a 2-week kit is even better! Essentially: the more well-stocked you can manage to make an emergency kit, the more prepared you will be in an emergency or natural disaster.
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During the optimization process, interpolation points are examined to follow valleys, and jumps to new starting points are executed to avoid numerous iterations in local minima. Convergence with probability one to the global minimum of a function is proved. The proposed RO method is a simple, derivative‐free and computationally moderate algorithm, with excellent performance compared to other RO methods. Seven functions, which are commonly used to test the performance of optimization methods, are used to evaluate the performance of the RO algorithm given here. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 相似文献 A study on the critical success factors for corporations embarking on knowledge community-based e-learning 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1 Corporations have felt the pressure for fast-paced innovations and knowledge transfer as major driving forces in raising their sustainable competitive advantage and organizational total productivity. Thus, the development of the knowledge community through e-learning is an important strategy in implementing knowledge management policy. This paper illustrates an empirical study with which to conduct qualitative research of learning organization. From the case company's real progress and practical experience, some core principles were extracted from four managerial aspects, such as: strategy, technology, process, and personnel. These aspects were analyzed in order to understand the value chain framework and the major concerns of knowledge community development. Further, the main benefits are addressed and certain critical factors are proposed and shown in this paper to ensure the success of corporations embarking on knowledge community-based e-learning. 相似文献 Jui‐Ming Yeh Chi‐Lun Chen Tai‐Hung Kuo Wen‐Fen Su Hsi‐Ya Huang Der‐Jang Liaw Hsin‐Yi Lu Chi‐Fong Liu Yuan‐Hsiang Yu 《应用聚合物科学杂志》2004,92(2):1072-1079 A series of polymer–clay nanocomposite (PCN) materials consisting of 1,4‐bis(4‐aminophenoxy)‐2‐tert‐butylbenzene–4,4′‐oxydiphthalic anhydride (BATB–ODPA) polyimide (PI) and layered montmorillonite (MMT) clay were successfully prepared by an in situ polymerization reaction through thermal imidization up to 300°C. The synthesized PCN materials were subsequently characterized by Fourier‐Transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, wide‐angle powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The effects of material composition on thermal stability, mechanical strength, molecular permeability and optical clarity of bulk PI and PCN materials in the form of membranes were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), molecular permeability analysis (GPA) and ultraviolet‐visible (UV/VIS) transmission spectra, respectively. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 1072–1079, 2004 相似文献 Novel diastereomeric acrylic ketal monomers derived from (+)‐camphor and (±)‐camphor were synthesized. To investigate the applications of the camphor derivatives on positive‐tone photoresists, the acrylic ketal monomers were copolymerized with methyl methacrylate, methacrylic acid, and n‐butyl methacrylate. The optical activities of the chiral monomers and polymers were all evaluated. After UV irradiation and postexposure baking, the optical activity of the polymers decreased because of the decomposition of the acid‐labile pendant chiral groups. The existence of alicyclic camphyl groups increased the etching resistance of the photoresists. The thermogravimetric properties of the copolymers, the exposure curves, the lithographic evaluation of the positive‐tone photoresists, and the effects of alicyclic groups on the plasma etching resistance of the copolymers were all investigated. A resolution of a line‐and‐space pattern of 0.3 μm was achieved. Acid‐catalyzed dehydration crosslinking was also found in this system. Sufficient UV irradiation and heat treatment could cause the acid‐catalyzed dehydration crosslinking of pendant carboxyl groups and thereby increase the efficiency of the thermal resistance of the polymers. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 2969–2978, 2003 相似文献 Yuan‐Hsiang Yu Chien‐Chih Jen Hsiu‐Ying Huang Pei‐Chi Wu Chao‐Cheng Huang Jui‐Ming Yeh 《应用聚合物科学杂志》2004,91(6):3438-3446 A series of heterocyclically conjugated polymer–clay nanocomposite (PCN) materials that consisted of organic poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and inorganic montmorillonite (MMT) clay platelets were prepared by in situ oxidative polymerization with FeCl3 as an oxidant. The as‐synthesized PCN materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, wide‐angle powder X‐ray diffraction (WAXRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The effects of the material composition on the anticorrosion, gas barrier, thermal stability, flammability, mechanical strength, and electrical conductivity properties of the P3HT and PCN materials were studied by electrochemical corrosion measurements, gas‐permeability analysis (GPA), thermogrametric analysis (TGA), limiting oxygen index (LOI) measurements, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and a four‐point probe technique, respectively. The molecular weights of extracted and bulk P3HT were determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) with THF as an eluant. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 3438–3446, 2004 相似文献 A Truncated Sum of Processing‐Times–Based Learning Model for a Two‐Machine Flowshop Scheduling Problem 下载免费PDF全文 Scheduling with learning effects has gained increasing attention in recent years. A well‐known learning model is called "sum‐of‐processing‐times‐based learning" in which the actual processing time of a job is a nonincreasing function of the jobs already processed. However, the actual processing time of a given job drops to zero precipitously when the normal job processing times are large. Moreover, the concept of learning process is relatively unexplored in a flowshop environment. Motivated by these observations, this article addresses a two‐machine flowshop problem with a truncated learning effect. The objective is to find an optimal schedule to minimize the total completion time. First, a branch‐and‐bound algorithm incorporating with a dominance property and four lower bounds is developed to derive the optimal solution. Then three simulated annealing algorithms are also proposed for near‐optimal solution. The experimental results indicated that the branch‐and‐bound algorithm can solve instances up to 18 jobs, and the proposed simulated annealing algorithm performs well in item of CPU time and error percentage. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 相似文献 Jui‐Ming Yeh Chi‐Lun Chen Yen‐Chen Chen Chin‐Yi Ma Hsi‐Ya Huang Yuan‐Hsiang Yu 《应用聚合物科学杂志》2004,92(1):631-637 A series of polymer–clay nanocomposite (PCN) materials containing polysulfone (PSF) and layered MMT clay were successfully prepared by effectively dispersing inorganic nanolayers of MMT clay in an organic PSF matrix via a solution dispersion technique. The synthesized PCN materials were subsequently investigated with a series of characterization techniques, including Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, wide‐angle powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The prepared PCN coatings with low clay loading (1 wt %) on cold‐rolled steel (CRS) were found to be superior in corrosion prevention to those of bulk PSF, based on a series of electrochemical measurements of corrosion potential, polarization resistance, corrosion current and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in a 5 wt % aqueous NaCl electrolyte. The effects of material composition on the molecular barrier, mechanical strength and optical clarity of PSF and PCN materials, in the form of membranes, was also studied by molecular permeability analysis (GPA), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and UV‐Visible transmission spectra, respectively. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 631–637, 2004 相似文献 Su‐Hsia Lin Hsiang‐Chien Kao Shih‐Hung Huang Ruey‐Shin Juang 《Journal of chemical technology and biotechnology (Oxford, Oxfordshire : 1986)》2002,77(2):168-174 The equilibrium and kinetics of solvent extraction of Cu2+ from aqueous solutions containing equimolar EDTA with Aliquat 336 in n‐decanol and kerosene at 298 K were investigated. The concentrations of Cu2+ (8–50 mol m?3), Cl? (5–60 mol m?3), and Aliquat 336 (20–100 mol m?3) were varied. A semi‐empirical model with three parameters was proposed to describe the equilibrium behavior, in which the non‐idealities in both aqueous and organic phases were considered. Over the ranges studied, the model agreed reasonably well with the experimental data (standard deviation, 15%). The forward and backward reaction rate constants were determined as (5.31 ± 0.16)×10?6 m9/4 mol?3/4 s?1 and (2.62 ± 0.09)×10?7 s?1, respectively, at 298 K. An interfacial reaction mechanism was proposed, which revealed that the reaction between the chelated anions and trimeric amine molecules at the interface was rate limiting. The derived rate laws were consistent with the experimental results. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry 相似文献 An investigation on the hot extrusion process of magnesium alloy sheet 总被引:11,自引:0,他引:11 This study investigates the hot extrusion of magnesium alloy sheets at various temperatures, material, speed and lubricant. A multi-speed method is applied to extrude a magnesium alloy sheet at a high extrusion ratio. The experimental results are analyzed to optimize the processing conditions, increase the tensile strength and reduce the extrusion load on the magnesium alloy thin sheet. Nowadays, most magnesium alloy products are manufactured by industrial die casting. Hot extrusion is seldom used to finish magnesium products because the extrusion speed, temperature and extrusion load significantly effect the properties of the product. In this study, the Taguchi experimental method with the orthogonal array is applied. ANOVA is used to investigate how parameters affect the extrusion process. All possible mechanical properties of the product are analyzed to obtain the optimal process parameters. In addition, magnesium alloys with different compositions are experimentally tested to determine the mechanical properties of the extruded product and obtain the relationship between the process parameters and the properties of the material. 相似文献 Remote user authentication scheme is a procedure which allows a server to authenticate a remote user through insecure channel. Recently, Yoon, Ryu and Yoo made an enhancement based on Ku–Chen's remote user authentication scheme by using smart cards. The scheme has the merits of providing mutual authentication, no verification table, freely choosing password, involving only few hashing operations and parallel session attack resistance. In this paper, we point out security flaws of Yoon–Ryu–Yoo's protocols against masquerading attack, off-line password guessing attacks and parallel session attack. An improvement to enhance Yoon–Ryu–Yoo's security scheme is proposed. 相似文献
How Much Is a Tennis Bracelet? The Ultimate Guide to Diamond Tennis Jewelry Hey readers! Welcome to our comprehensive guide on all things tennis bracelets. Whether you're a seasoned tennis enthusiast or simply looking to add a touch of brilliance to your wrist, this article will provide you with all the insights you need to make an informed decision about how much a tennis bracelet will cost. What is a Tennis Bracelet? A tennis bracelet is a type of jewelry that consists of a flexible line of diamonds set in precious metal, typically gold or platinum. It's named after Chris Evert, the tennis legend who famously lost her diamond bracelet during a match and exclaimed, "Oh my God, I've lost my tennis bracelet!" Tennis bracelets have since become a popular choice for women of all ages and styles. Factors Affecting the Cost of a Tennis Bracelet 1. Diamond Quality The quality of the diamonds is the primary factor that determines the cost of a tennis bracelet. This includes the 4 Cs: – Carat Weight: The total weight of the diamonds in carats. Higher carat weights generally mean more expensive bracelets. – Color: The absence of color in a diamond. Colorless diamonds (D-F) are the most expensive, while near-colorless diamonds (G-J) offer a more affordable option. – Clarity: The number and visibility of inclusions in a diamond. Diamonds with fewer inclusions are more expensive. – Cut: The way a diamond has been cut and polished. Well-cut diamonds produce more sparkle and brilliance, which increases their value. 2. Metal Type The type of metal used in a tennis bracelet also affects its cost. Gold is a classic choice, with 18k gold being the most popular due to its durability and rich color. Platinum is a more expensive option, known for its exceptional durability and hypoallergenic properties. 3. Size and Length The size and length of a tennis bracelet influence its price. Larger bracelets with more diamonds will naturally cost more. It's important to choose a bracelet that fits your wrist comfortably and complements your style. 4. Brand and Design The brand name and specific design of a tennis bracelet can also affect its price. Some high-end jewelry designers may charge a premium for their exclusive creations and brand recognition. 5. Diamond Setting The setting of the diamonds can impact the cost. Common diamond settings for tennis bracelets include pave, bezel, and channel settings. A pave setting, where diamonds are set close together, will generally be more expensive due to the higher labor involved. Detailed Table Breakdown: Tennis Bracelet Price Range Diamond Quality \| Metal Type \| Carat Weight \| Length \| Price Range \| F-G color, VS2 clarity \| 14k yellow gold \| 5 ct \| 7 inches \| $2,500 – $5,000 \| H-I color, SI1 clarity \| 18k white gold \| 3 ct \| 6.5 inches \| $1,500 – $3,000 \| D-E color, IF clarity \| Platinum \| 10 ct \| 7.5 inches \| $20,000 – $40,000 \| G-H color, VS1 clarity \| 18k rose gold \| 2 ct \| 6 inches \| $800 – $1,500 \| I-J color, SI2 clarity \| 14k yellow gold \| 7 ct \| 8 inches \| $4,000 – $7,000 \| So, how much does a tennis bracelet cost? It really depends on your specific preferences and budget. By considering the factors discussed above, you can narrow down your search and find the perfect tennis bracelet that enhances your style and complements your personal taste. As always, we encourage you to check out our other articles on diamond jewelry to further explore the world of sparkling gems. Whether you're looking for engagement rings, wedding bands, or everyday statement pieces, we've got you covered. Thanks for reading! Additional info about how much tennis bracelet Is tennis bracelet a good investment? In terms of investment, tennis bracelets have a good value retention rate. However, the specific value of a tennis bracelet depends on several factors, including the quality and size of the diamonds, the metal used, and the brand. What is a good size for a tennis bracelet? The ideal size for a tennis bracelet depends on your personal style and wrist size. Generally, a bracelet with a diameter of 6.5 to 7 inches is a comfortable fit for most women. How to choose the right tennis bracelet? When choosing a tennis bracelet, consider the following factors: Diamond quality: The quality of the diamonds will significantly impact the price and appearance of the bracelet. Metal: Tennis bracelets are typically made of gold, silver, or platinum. Choose a metal that complements your skin tone and style. Clasp: The clasp should be secure and easy to use. Size: The bracelet should fit comfortably on your wrist, not too loose or too tight. How much does a tennis bracelet cost? The cost of a tennis bracelet varies widely depending on the factors mentioned above. A simple diamond tennis bracelet can cost around $1,000, while a high-end bracelet with larger diamonds and precious metals can cost tens of thousands of dollars. What is the difference between a tennis bracelet and a line bracelet? A tennis bracelet is a type of line bracelet, but it is specifically designed with a continuous row of diamonds set in a metal frame. Line bracelets, on the other hand, can have a variety of designs and settings, including diamonds, gemstones, or other embellishments. Is a tennis bracelet the same as an eternity band? No. A tennis bracelet and an eternity band are different types of jewelry. A tennis bracelet is a line bracelet with a continuous row of diamonds, while an eternity band is a ring with a continuous row of diamonds around the entire band. What is the average carat weight of a tennis bracelet? The average carat weight of a tennis bracelet varies depending on the size of the diamonds. A bracelet with smaller diamonds may have a total carat weight of around 1 carat, while a bracelet with larger diamonds may have a total carat weight of 5 carats or more. What is the best way to clean a tennis bracelet? The best way to clean a tennis bracelet is to use a mild dish soap and warm water. Soak the bracelet in the solution for a few minutes, then use a soft brush to gently clean the diamonds and metal. Rinse the bracelet thoroughly with clean water and dry it with a soft cloth. How often should I get my tennis bracelet inspected? It is recommended to get your tennis bracelet inspected by a jeweler every 6 months to 1 year. This will help ensure that the clasp is secure and the diamonds are in good condition. Can I wear a tennis bracelet every day? Yes, tennis bracelets are designed to be worn every day. However, it is important to take care of your bracelet by removing it before engaging in any strenuous activities or when working with harsh chemicals.
"Reject Christian Nationalism. Keep religion out of government." That's what the billboard near the State Capitol reads — in all caps. In smaller type is the name of the group that paid for it: Humanists MN. The sign has been getting plenty of attention. When a local Reddit user snapped a photo of it and posted it with a "Found in St Paul, MN; Proud to live here!" caption earlier this spring, it garnered nearly 50,000 upvotes. No matter your take on the First Amendment and its clauses, however, the billboard likely prompts a question: What's a humanist? That's something Ellie Haylund, president of Humanists MN, finds herself answering often, even though her organization calls themselves the state's largest group of nonbelievers. "So many people have not heard of it," Haylund said of humanism. "But as soon as you describe it, most people I know, say, 'Oh, that's me, I didn't know there was that name for it.'" Humanists don't believe in a god. Instead, they unite around shared ethics and values — such as compassion, critical thinking, civic engagement and sustainability — and come together for service projects and community gatherings. The American Humanist Association's slogan is "Good without a god." "I always tell people that I would rather label myself or define myself by what I am, not by what I'm not," Haylund said, explaining why "humanist" is a better fit for her than "atheist." While sharing a name and certain qualities with the humanist movement of the Italian Renaissance, the type of contemporary humanism that Haylund is a part of had its beginnings about 100 years ago. Author Kurt Vonnegut was one of the more famous adherents. It's now gaining new energy and momentum among the growing number of people who identify as having no religion, Haylund said. Humanists MN, which has several hundred dues-paying members and thousands of more casual adherents, has been around for 36 years. Billboards (which cost the group more than $7,000 for three months) are part of an effort to gain visibility and spur action on the separation of religion and government. The local organization put up its first billboard ("Good without a god") last year. The group also successfully encouraged Democratic state legislators to start a Secular Government Caucus in Minnesota. Formed last October, the caucus aims to counter what its members say is a growing push to impose Christian beliefs in government. It includes legislators who are outspoken nonbelievers as well as lawmakers who are religious and support the separation of church and state. Co-chair Rep. Mike Freiberg, DFL-Golden Valley, recently invited Humanists MN program coordinator Audrey Kingstrom to the House. Legislative sessions usually begin with a prayer, but Freiberg asked Kingstrom to give a "secular invocation." She used the occasion to make a point: "Be mindful that the moral authority by which you govern only exists when everyone's voice is heard and respected, when informed reason and verifiable evidence undergirds your decisions, and when compassion, cooperation and civility guide your process," she told the room. "Hold fast to these noble aims and this shared purpose. So may it be." This month, Humanists MN returned to the State Capitol along with the humanist congregation First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis and Or Emet Minnesota Congregation for Humanistic Judaism as part of an annual event they call the National Day of Reason. They gathered in the basement for croissants and coffee and invited other groups of nonbelievers, including the Central Minnesota Freethinkers, Jews for a Secular Democracy and Minnesota Atheists. One of many humanist gatherings around the country on the first Wednesday in May, the breakfast aimed to counter the much more prominent annual National Day of Prayer, which falls on the following day. Rep. Athena Hollins, DFL-St. Paul, one of the secular caucus' co-chairs, said bringing dozens of nonbelievers to the Capitol was important. "I was raised agnostic. And so I didn't realize that that would be a big deal in this space," she said. "It's become clear to me now, though, that me even being 'out' as being a secular person is kind of revolutionary, which is strange. I'm very respectful and I support everybody and their religious beliefs. But I just think that the decisions that we make and the policy that we need needs to be reflective of all people, and for that reason we need to be making it secular." The breakfast's featured speaker was Wisconsin lawyer and "American Crusade: How the Supreme Court Is Weaponizing Religious Freedom" author Andrew Seidel. On his way to the Capitol, he drove past the humanists' billboard and took note. He stopped to snap a photo and share on Twitter, weighing in with a little wit: "Check out the @humanistsmn billboard just a few blocks from the MN Capitol. 'Reject Christian Nationalism. Keep religion out of government.' Can I get an amen?!"
The desert dust of Dubai is slowly settling as we reflect on the outcomes of COP28 in the United Arab Emirates. What does the "Dubai Consensus" actually mean for Pacific Small Island Developing States and the communities that they represent? The fact that the so-called consensus was gavelled before AOSIS, the Alliance of Small Island States, even entered the plenary session or were able to make their intervention, was indicative of a COP, where the "F" words of "Fossil Fuel" were always going to be a contentious issue. While the early adoption of and pledges to a Loss and Damage fund were welcome news, the expected celebration of this decision was tempered by the understanding that there was still much work to be done on the management of the fund, access to the funding by the most vulnerable and least responsible states and communities, and the process of how non-economic loss and damages were to be calculated in a manner that maintained dignity and values of affected communities. However, from the outset, Pacific island countries made their position clear, as has been clear since the Paris agreement was reached at COP21 in 2015: world's average temperature should not exceed that of preindustrial times by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius in order to avoid the more extreme and irreversible climate effects. The slogan, "1.5 to stay alive" by Pacific countries has been at successive COPs since Paris. This year, 1.5 was the "red line" for Pacific Small Island Developing States. No ifs, no buts. Pacific churches have continued to support this stand by our governments, on behalf of the people of the Pacific, consistently saying that money for adaptation and loss and damage without concrete solutions on mitigation (the phase out of fossil fuels) is "blood money". This year at COP28 saw the coming together of Pacific governments, church, civil society and activists to maintain the position, or "hold the line" of "1.5 to stay alive," through an urgent and just transition away from fossil fuels, and serious new money in both adaptation and loss and damage funding, including non-economic loss and damage. Read more: toda.org Photo: toda.org
There are chances you find those tiny white bumps on face, which can crop up especially under the eyes. Perhaps you weren't aware of these skin condition or maybe it drives you nuts currently. But before you choose to pop those milia on face, here's what exactly those tiny white bumps are, what you can do, etc. Milia is the technical term used to refer small, hard spots or white bumps on skin. The bumps usually resemble tiny cysts filled with protein called keratin and are caused by the development of dead skin cells. Milia is mostly found on the surface of the facial skin like eyelids, chin, cheeks, mouth and nose. It's new born babies and infants get affected mostly from milia than adults. What causes Milia? The skin's inability to exfoliate naturally leads to the development of milia on face and other facial areas. This allows dead skin cells causing damage to the skin. As a result, keratin, the protein found in nails, hair and skin get trapped under the skin's surface. This in turn results in a noticeable cyst like white bumps on face. Individuals whose skin's natural ability to cleanse properly and shed dead cells is weakened can lead to milia. Some of the common reasons include: - Too much exposure to UV rays, - Skin damage resulting from injury or rash, - Excessive use of steroid medications, - Natural aging, - An autoimmune condition, - Burns to the skin, and - Genetics. Though milia is completely benign, it takes a long time to disappear naturally. When to seek Milia Treatment? How confidently you present yourself has a direct impact on how you feel on the inside. That's why everyone probably want to get rid of milia. Though this skin problem is harmless and non-contagious, it's unusual and unsightly appearance makes every individual to look for milia treatment. In some cases, white bumps on face and other skin areas disappear on its own accord. However, if those tiny cysts shows no signs of leaving, then it is better to seek the best milia treatment. How to get rid of Milia? Similar to pimples, milia should not be popped as it leads to infections and scarring. The best and effective milia treatment to get rid of this skin problem is micro-needling. With no heat, injections and time off work, micro-needling uses small needles, making it a safe and powerful procedure on all skin types and helps to treat an array of skin conditions like sun damage, white bumps on face, fine lines, age spots, stretch marks, scars, signs of aging and many. Micro-needling activate the skin's own renewal and repair response by piercing the dermal layer of the skin. This helps our body to respond naturally to repair the physical damage, without causing pain, discomfort and side effects. As a result, micro-needling is considered as a safe, comfortable and effective milia treatment to cure those white bumps. In today's modern world, saying goodbye to those tiny white bumps on face is easy with our treatment. Our milia treatment not just remove milia but also helps to restore your young-looking, smoother skin. Call us today to help you feel great about your skin again.
SA invests in technical colleges for high schoolers to boost ECEC numbers South Australia will soon have a new technical college that will focus on early childhood education and care (ECEC) as a sector, equipping its students with workplace skills in a bid to develop a pipeline to address ongoing workforce shortages. Findon High School Technical College is one of five new colleges to be constructed, three in the metropolitan area, and two in regional SA, and will be the first to open in 2024, with ECEC as "the first industry (sic.) focus area." The remaining colleges will open by 2026. The technical colleges will support students in years 10 to 12 to complete their SACE while undertaking vocational education and training (VET) in specialist state-of-the-art facilities. The technical colleges will: - include brand new buildings with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment that reflects modern workplaces - cater for students in years 10, 11 and 12 - offer programs that are tailored to the needs of sectors or industries where there are job opportunities for school leavers - support employers with a pipeline of skilled workers that have completed school and gained the necessary skills for their sector or industry - offer quality VET through a registered training organisation - be run in conjunction with a nearby high school to support students to complete their SACE while getting VET qualifications - accept enrolments from public and private schools. The technical colleges will be located in: - Port Augusta – Port Augusta Secondary School or TAFE SA Port Augusta campus - Mount Gambier – TAFE SA Mount Gambier campus - North-east metro – The Heights School - Inner-west metro – Findon High School - Inner-south metro – TAFE SA Tonsley campus. Detailed planning is currently underway to confirm the sector and industry focus areas and operating model of each technical college. This will help make sure they meet the needs of chosen sectors and industries, with employers being consulted to ensure the colleges deliver the skilled workers needed by South Australian employers. South Australia has a relatively high youth unemployment rate and a large proportion of young people not in education, employment or training. At the same time, the state is experiencing a skills shortage with employers looking for workers. The technical colleges are expected to give students more choices for completion of their schooling and help them gain the knowledge and skills needed for in-demand industries in South Australia. For more information about the technical colleges program, please see here. Vulnerable preschoolers slipping through the cracks: new research 2024-05-21 00:31:00 by Contributed Content How families can work together to fight screen addiction 2024-05-17 00:43:28 by Contributed Content Jobs News Indi Kindi making progress in Closing the Gap, Deloitte finds 2024-05-21 09:32:33 by Freya Lucas
Central banks are relatively new inventions. The nineteenth-century American President Andrew Jackson even once cancelled America's central bank (in 1833) because he did not think that it was very important. But things have changed since. Central banks today are the most important feature of the financial systems of most countries of the world. Central banks are bizarre hybrids. Some of their functions are identical to the functions of regular, commercial banks. Other functions are unique to the central bank. On certain functions, it has an absolute legal monopoly. Central banks take deposits from other banks and, in certain cases, from foreign governments which deposit their foreign exchange and gold reserves for safekeeping (for instance, with the Federal Reserve Bank of the USA). The Central Bank invests in the foreign exchange reserves of the country while trying to maintain an investment portfolio similar to the trade composition of its client - the state. The Central bank also holds onto the gold reserves of the country. Most central banks have lately tried to get rid of their gold, due to its ever-declining prices. Since gold is registered in their books in historical values, central banks are showing a handsome profit in this line of activity. Central banks (especially the American ones) also participate in important, international negotiations. If they do not do so directly - they exert influence behind the scenes. The German Bundesbank virtually dictated Germany's position in the negotiations leading to the Maastricht treaty. It forced the hands of its co-signatories to agree to strict terms of accession into the Euro single currency project. The Bundesbank demanded that a country's economy be totally stable (low debt ratios, low inflation) before it is accepted as part of the Euro. It is an irony of history that Germany itself is not eligible under these criteria and cannot be accepted as a member of the club whose rules it has assisted to formulate. But all these constitute a secondary and marginal portion of the central bank's activities. The main function of a modern central bank is the monitoring and regulation of interest rates in the economy. The central bank does this by changing the interest rates that it charges on money that it lends to the banking system through its "discount windows". Interest rates are supposed to influence the level of economic activity in the economy. This supposed link has not been unequivocally proven by economic research. Also, there usually is a delay between the alteration of interest rates and the foreseen impact on the economy. This makes the assessment of the interest rate policy difficult. Still, central banks use interest rates to fine-tune the economy. Higher interest rates - lower economic activity and lower inflation. The reverse is also supposed to be true. Even shifts of a quarter of a percentage point are sufficient to send the stock exchanges tumbling together with the bond markets. In 1994 a long-term trend of increase in interest rates commenced in the USA, doubling interest rates from 3 to 6 per cent. Investors in the bond markets lost 1 trillion (=1000 billion!) USD in 1 year. Even today, currency traders all around the world dread the decisions of the Bundesbank and sit with their eyes glued to the trading screen on days on which announcements are expected. Interest rates are only the latest fad. Prior to this - and under the influence of the Chicago school of economics - central banks used to monitor and manipulate money supply aggregates. Simply put, they would sell bonds to the public (and, thus absorb liquid means, money) - or buy from the public (and, thus, inject liquidity). Otherwise, they would restrict the amount of printed money and limit the government's ability to borrow. Even prior to that fashion there was a widespread belief in the effectiveness of manipulating exchange rates. This was especially true when exchange controls were still being implemented and the currency was not fully convertible. Britain removed its exchange controls only as late as 1979. The USD was pegged to a (gold) standard (and, thus not really freely tradable) as late as 1971. Free flows of currencies are a relatively new thing and their long absence reflects this widely held superstition of central banks. Nowadays, exchange rates are considered to be a "soft" monetary instrument and are rarely used by central banks. The latter continues, though, to intervene in the trading of currencies in the international and domestic markets usually to no avail and while losing their credibility in the process. Ever since the ignominious failure of implementing the infamous Louvre accord in 1985 currency intervention is considered to be a somewhat rusty relic of old ways of thinking. Central banks are heavily enmeshed in the very fabric of the commercial banking system. They perform certain indispensable services for the latter. In most countries, interbank payments pass through the central bank or through a clearing organ which is somehow linked or reports to the central bank. All major foreign exchange transactions pass through - and, in many countries, still must be approved by - the central bank. Central banks regulate banks, licence their owners, supervise their operations, and keenly observe their liquidity. The central bank is the lender of last resort in cases of insolvency or illiquidity. The frequent claims of central banks all over the world that they were surprised by a banking crisis looks, therefore, dubious at best. No central bank can say that it had no early warning signs or no access to all the data - and keep a straight face while saying so. Impending banking crises give out signs long before they erupt. These signs ought to be detected by a reasonably managed central bank. Only major neglect could explain a surprise on behalf of a central bank. One sure sign is the number of times that a bank chooses to borrow using the discount windows. Another is if it offers interest rates which are way above the rates offered by other financing institutions. There are many more signs and central banks should be adept at reading them. This heavy involvement is not limited to the collection and analysis of data. A central bank - by the very definition of its functions - sets the tone for all other banks in the economy. By altering its policies (for instance: by changing its reserve requirements) it can push banks to insolvency or create bubble economies which are bound to burst. If it were not for the easy and cheap money provided by the Bank of Japan in the eighties - the stock and real estate markets would not have inflated to the extent that they have. Subsequently, it was the same bank (under a different Governor) that tightened the reins of credit - and pierced both bubble markets. The same mistake was repeated in 1992-93 in Israel - and with the same consequences. This precisely is why central banks should not supervise the banking system. When asked to supervise the banking system - central banks are really asked to draw criticism on their past performance, their policies and their vigilance in the past. To further explain this statement: In most countries in the world, bank supervision is a heavy-weight department within the central bank. It samples banks, on a periodic basis. Then, it analyses their books thoroughly and imposes rules of conduct and sanctions where necessary. But the role of central banks in determining the health, behaviour and operational modes of commercial banks is so paramount that it is highly undesirable for a central bank to supervise the banks. Supervision by a central bank means that it has to criticize itself, its own policies and the way that they were enforced and also the results of past supervision. Central banks are really asked to cast themselves in the unlikely role of impartial saints. A new trend is to put the supervision of banks under a different "sponsor" and to encourage a checks and balances system, wherein the central bank, its policies and operations are indirectly criticized by the bank supervision. This is the way it is in Switzerland and - with the exception of the Jewish money which was deposited in Switzerland never to be returned to its owners - the Swiss banking system is extremely well regulated and well supervised. We differentiate between two types of central banks: autonomous and semi-autonomous. The autonomous bank is politically and financially independent. Its Governor is appointed for a period which is longer than the periods of the incumbent elected politicians so that he will not be subject to political pressures. Its budget is not provided by the legislature or by the executive arm. It is self-sustaining: it runs itself as a corporation would. Its profits are used in leaner years in which it loses money (though for a central bank to lose money is a difficult task to achieve). Prime examples of autonomous central banks are Germany's Bundesbank and the American Federal Reserve Bank. The Deutsche Bundesbank became the first central bank to be given full independence, leading this form of central bank to be referred to as the "Bundesbank model" The second type of central bank is the semi-autonomous one. This is a central bank that depends on the political echelons and, especially, on the Ministry of Finance. This dependence could be through its budget which is allocated to it by the Ministry or by a Parliament (ruled by one big party or by the coalition parties). The upper levels of the bank - the Governor and the Vice Governor - could be deposed through a political decision (albeit by Parliament, which makes it somewhat more difficult). This is the case of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand or People's Bank of China whose goals are set by the Government. Such dependent banks fulfil the function of an economic advisor to the government. The Governor of the Bank of England advises the Minister of Finance (in their famous weekly meetings, the minutes of which are published) about the desirable level of interest rates. It cannot, however, determine these levels and, thus is devoid of arguably the most important policy tool. The situation is somewhat better with the Bank of Israel which can play around with interest rates and foreign exchange rates - but not entirely freely. Now, the central bank is facing its most daunting task: facing the truth without fear and without prejudice. Bank supervision needs to be overhauled and lessons need to be learnt. The political independence of the bank needs to be increased greatly. The bank must decide what to do with TAT and with the other failing Stedilnicas. They could be sold to the banks as portfolios of assets and liabilities. The Bank of England sold Barings Bank in 1995 to the ING Dutch Bank. The central bank could - and has to - force the owners of the failing Stedilnicas to increase their equity capital (by using their personal property, where necessary). This was successfully done (again, by the Bank of England) in the 1991 case of the BCCI scandal. The central bank could increase the reserve requirements and the deposit insurance premiums. But these are all artificial, ad hoc, solutions. Something more radical needs to be done: And bank supervision must be separated from the central bank and set to criticize the central bank and its policies, decisions and operations on a regular basis.
Pupils learn cycle confidence with Bikeability training at Aylesbury Vale village school and live on Freeview channel 276 Children at a village school are learning to become confident cyclists, thanks to the government's Bikeability programme. Steeple Claydon School has engaged Cambridge-based Outspoken! Training to deliver the cycle training programme to pupils. Hide AdAdvertisement Hide AdChildren from Reception to Year 6 are given the opportunity to gain confidence in cycling via the scheme, which teaches them how to use and enjoy this lifelong skill safely. Pupils can progress through the three Bikeability training levels, from confidently mastering control of their bicycles off road to learning the skills for on-road cycling. First, the children learn to use their balance bike confidently, before progressing to Level 1 training, available to Years 3 and 4, which is delivered via playground games where children learn to take control of their bikes in a fun and friendly setting. Level 2 training, accessible to Years 5 and 6, provides a realistic experience of on-road cycling and takes place on local roads near to the school, equipping pupils with the skills they need to take short on-road journeys. Riders are taught about effective observation, understanding road priorities, communicating with other road users and correct road positioning. Hide AdAdvertisement Hide AdThey also have the chance to take advanced Level 3 training, which is offered to children from Years 6 to 9. A school spokesperson said: "By promoting and actively participating in initiatives including Bikeability and Cycle to School Week, as a school community we are dedicated to inspiring and providing future generations with the necessary knowledge and confidence to enjoy and regularly use this life skill for their daily commutes."
In today's digital age, data breaches have become an increasingly common and dangerous threat to businesses and individuals alike. From large corporations to small businesses, no one is immune to the potential impact of a data breach. It is essential for organizations to take proactive steps to prevent data breaches and protect their databases from malicious attacks. Data breach prevention is a complex and multi-faceted process that requires a combination of technical solutions, employee training, and ongoing monitoring and auditing. In this article, we will outline some key strategies for keeping your database secure and preventing data breaches. 1. Secure Your Network: One of the most important steps in preventing data breaches is to secure your network. This includes implementing firewalls, encryption, and other security measures to protect your data from unauthorized access. Regularly update your network security software to stay ahead of potential threats. 2. Implement Access Controls: Limiting access to your database is crucial for preventing data breaches. Only authorized personnel should have access to sensitive information, and access should be restricted based on job responsibilities and the principle of least privilege. Regularly review and update access controls to ensure that only those who need access to the database can access it. 3. Train Your Employees: Employees are often the weakest link in data breach prevention. It is essential to provide comprehensive training on data security best practices, including how to recognize phishing attempts, use strong passwords, and avoid sharing sensitive information. Regularly remind employees of the importance of data security and provide ongoing training to keep them up to date on the latest threats. 4. Encrypt Your Data: Data encryption is a powerful tool for preventing data breaches. By encrypting sensitive data both in transit and at rest, you can protect your information from unauthorized access. Implement strong encryption algorithms and regularly review and update your encryption protocols to ensure that your data remains secure. 5. Monitor and Audit: Regular monitoring and auditing of your database are essential for detecting and preventing data breaches. Implement intrusion detection systems and regularly review logs and audit trails to identify any unusual activity that could indicate a breach. Conduct regular security assessments to identify vulnerabilities in your database and address them before they can be exploited. By following these best practices for data breach prevention, you can significantly reduce the risk of a breach and protect your database from malicious attacks. Remember, data security is an ongoing process that requires continual attention and vigilance. Stay informed about the latest threats and best practices, and be prepared to adapt your security measures as needed to protect your valuable data. #Data #Breach #Prevention #Database #Secure
Over the years, with a historical reference spanning from the 18th century, tourism has been at the forefront in elevating people's livelihoods in the Bahamas and profiting the foreign investors who visualized the prospective aspects of this industry. However, amid this successful story, the problem of racism has been at the center stage. This essay will focus on the conversations about race by looking at whom it is mainly directed towards, who or what stands to gain or lose in the fight against it. Additionally, this paper will look at how this problem has prevailed over the years in the Bahamas and how it has primarily affected the tourism industry. The essay will unravel some of the historical circumstances that contributed to the racial injustices on the black individuals in the Bahamas with a keen focus on tourism. This paper will examine the theories surrounding racism in different literature texts on this subject with, The Land of the Pink Pearl by Louis Powles being our primary referencing material. Furthermore, this paper will tackle the cultural realities of racism as perceived by the Bahamian society and offer some of the social effects brought forth by this vice. Finally, it will offer suggestions on some of the most practical solutions to fight against the racial divide in the Bahamas as the country aims towards revamping its tourism industry. Since the 18th century, the Bahamas has made tremendous strides in the tourism industry. With its vast endowment of indigenous textile products such as cotton, wood pulp, sisal, and other resourceful land and sea products, the Bahamas positioned itself as a viable economic base (Saunders, 2016). Its warm and beautiful coastal beaches earned the Bahamas the title of a winter resort. These elements propelled the tourism industry in the Bahamas as they attracted the elite and wealthy European business persons. However, it was not until the 1920s and 1930s that it experienced the full potential and profitability gains from the tourism sector (Saunders, 2016). This period saw the construction of hotels in the Nassau region to support the overwhelming numbers of tourists. Regardless of the effects of World War 2 on this booming industry, the Bahamas government embarked on a rigorous exercise to reverse this sector and not only make it a winter destination resort but an all-year-round tourist destination haven. Numerous investments have contributed to the realization of this objective. In conjunction with the private stakeholders, the government has formulated various policies to ensure the success of this lucrative industry In recent years, the Bahamas government has continually created avenues to improve its tourism industry, emphasizing wealthy prospective visitors worldwide. These governmental efforts are motivated by the fact that the Bahamas tourism sector contributes up to more than 70% of its Gross Domestic Product (Wallace, 2020). To accomplish this, it has promoted the necessary amenities for tourism. These top amenities for tourism encompass having a tropical savanna climate, a tropical ocean with attractive beaches that have proximity to its broad spectrum of hotel and resort facilities. Additionally, welcoming citizens of The Bahamas who have a rich and exciting culture and history has been a selling point to tourists. In the middle of governmental efforts in the tourism industry, several loopholes and problems have been working against the Bahamian tourism industry. The reliance on the United Kingdom, stiff competition from other Caribbean Islands, an aging hotel infrastructure, unprofessional managers in the tourism sector form part of these vast problems (Saunders, 2016). Moreover, there are issues on the government's attack on Freeports and negative socialism aspects in hotel ownership management. However, one major problem that has been prevalent over the years in this profitable industry has been racism (Saunders, 2016). This vice is still deeply rooted in the daily lives of the Bahamian people and its tourism sector. Therefore, for the Bahamas to achieve the prosperity that it genuinely desires from tourism, it has to work on a careful surveillance strategy that helps to shun racism in its delicate and fragile economy. This study will analyze the prevalence of racism in the Bahamas tourism industry throughout the years and provide a clear roadmap of the governmental efforts in offering solutions to this problem. Tourism and its relation to Racism in the Bahamian History Slavery establishment in the Caribbean exposed the Bahamas to the outside world. Columbus' exploits in the Caribbean islands brought him to the Bahamas in 1492 and opened this hidden treasure to other European nations (Powles, 1). Britain's colonization further expounded its significance as it acted as a trans-shipment area during the United States Civil War (Saunders, 2016). President Lincoln had declared the closure of the southern state's ports, but since the southern states needed to export their cotton for other goods such as guns, the Bahamas, which violated the blockade, offered the best strategic position to achieve this. Nassau provided the best environment for the goods bound for Europe and Confederate ports to be traded. Though the numerous ships brought incredible wealth to the residents of Nassau, it was only enjoyed by outsiders, some elite white merchants, and British residents. Most of the Bahamian population, especially the blacks and a small number of poor whites, were left languishing in poverty. Racism was still imminent during this time as slaves, and free blacks made a considerable part of the Bahamas population. It was visible where land ownership becomes a critical issue in the Bahamas. Coupled with inflated land prices, black Bahamas suffered the fate of living like squatters in their own country (Saunders, 2016). Therefore, even as colonial administrators embraced the tourism industry, these black Bahamians got lesser jobs and were forced to work in deplorable conditions. Only the local elite individuals and the wealthy colonial masters with their citizens were profiting from this. Fundamental changes in the tourism industry in the Bahamas took a turn around as it gained independence from its British colonies. The local elites were motivated to restructure their country's cultural, political, and economic patterns (Saunders, 2016). With the decline in the traditional agricultural and sponge fishing industries, more focus was directed towards tourism. This shift was being experienced by most of the Caribbean Islands as they sought independence from their colonies. Thus, they started to encourage tourism in their territories. The new government needed to promote international tourism in the Bahamas. The beautiful beaches, zealously variegated seas, and a conducive climate provided a winter escape haven for Europeans, Canadians, and United States tourists (Saunders, 2016). The previously thought unfit plantations for the whites became part of the tourist attraction sites. The Bahamas had turned back from being a wasteland to a paradise. America's interwar years of the 1920s and 1930s further propelled tourism in the Caribbean islands and, more importantly, the Bahamas (Saunders, 2016). Therefore, the Bahamian government needed to put strategies to harness wealth from this industry and stay ahead in infrastructure compared to other Caribbean regions. Part of the strategies embraced was to create a brand that would package the Bahamas as a place that the whites would luxuriate at the expense of the black Bahamians (Saunders, 2016). The black Bahamians would cater to every need that tourists demanded during their visitations at the beautiful beaches. Consequently, this notion created not only a form of servitude but also the social evils of racism. The pursuit of the white's dollars had led to the mentality of inferiority in the Bahamian society. Though free, this was a new form of slavery for the black Bahamians embedded in the notion of the country's prosperity and patriotism. Women, in most cases, were used to professing the objectives of the tourism brand famous at every other winter season. With their bodies on display to tourists, the Bahamian tourism industry earned the term "straw market" (Saunders, 2016). This mentality scripted the Bahamas economy on the sweltering heat that the black women Bahamas were forced to endure so as the country's tourism industry would flourish. The new version of indentured servitude exposed the black Bahamian workers to marginalization and, ultimately, the social evils of racism. In their interactions and frequent encounters with the white tourists, the slavey, the mindset was advanced. These experiences bring out the argument that tourism brought more social ills than benefits. It reinvented the racialized tropes that free blacks had experienced during the colonial period and the era of slavery. Hence tourism, rather than reduce, advanced these social evils. Like most countries in the world, the Bahamas has not been spared from the legacy of racism. In the Bahamas, it can be extended far into the period before emancipation in 1838 (Saunders, 2016). Powles records that the labor tenancy systems, organized by the wealthy merchants, exploited the laboring masses in the Bahamas. The credit and truck system employed by the ruling class against the poor blacks was a form of achieving economic as well as social control. He records that "Shipping goes on here to a limited extent, but owing to the prevalence of the truck system, the unhappy workman derives but the little benefit here" (Powles, 59). Powles stated that spongers were disadvantaged by the merchants as they paid for inferior goods at the price of quality goods ( Powles, 88). The aim was to create debt relations with the poor black men and women in the Bahamian society so that a dependency kind of association will be bred between these two classes of people. This credit system made it hard for the spongers to accumulate enough funds to overcome it ( Powles, 90). This association was propagated by the white merchants so that the black farmers would lack the possibility of earning wages. Labour exploitation coupled with the ill-intention strategy of the ruling white oligarchy (Bay Street Boys) further ensured that the hierarchical race class order was maintained in the Bahamas (Saunders, 2016). Such a system would ensure that black folks were denied primary education and access to health and social services. Lack of even elementary education generated benign neglect among the black Bahamas such that they saw no need for public works and utilities. The Bay Street Boys tasked the British colonialists to ensure this racial discrimination was maintained. Even with the advent of a modern form of tourism in the Bahamas in the 1920s, black entertainers struggled to get their art showcased (Curry, 2020). They were forced to use the back doors of hotels to perform for the white tourists. Even with this struggle to have their craft heard and recognized by the white audiences, they still got pennies. When it came to shipping transportations, the white passengers were always given exclusive rights over the black Bahamians. The tourism industry brought with it the Eurocentric standards of beauty to the Bahamian culture (Curry, 2020). The notion of beauty in the eyes of a black Bahamanian is embedded in the concept of class and colorism brought by the colonialists and the tourists alike. Most Bahamians continue to embrace bleaching elements with the mindset of looking good and appealing to the tourists they presume will favorably. The ontological whiteness brought by the white tourists seems to be the basis through which the black Bahamas defines issues to do with beauty versus ugliness, good versus evil, and what is right versus wrong (Curry, 2020). In modern Bahamian society, the Afro-descended Bahamians continue to relocate to the peripheries of Nassau to seek upward elevation of wealth and status. They no longer want to be associated with the historic and culturally rich communities of the plantation. The black Bahamians mostly direct their aspirations of success towards the Eastern and Western districts of New Providence which are richly endowed by the white settlers who mostly came as tourists. Racism in the Contemporary Bahamian Tourism Industry In contemporary Bahamian society, racial profiling in the tourism industry is not that different from historical times (Curry, 2020). Black people are nothing more than cogs to maintain and sustain the capitalistic nature of the white man. Most of the employees in the Bahamanian tourism industry are black individuals from poor neighborhoods. Those working in critical positions such as housekeeping, food service, and essential security services still experience racial discrimination (Curry, 2020). The low payments received are a spat to the multimillion dollars that tourism generates for the Bahamas. Apart from being overworked during the on-season times for tourism, they are forced to abandon other essential responsibilities in their lives, such as family, to ensure the white-managed resorts rise handsomely during such seasons. With the onset of Covid-19, tourism was affected in the entire world and the Bahamas. Most hotels and resorts were forced to close down to control the spread of the Covid -19 virus (Wallace, 2020). The actual effect was the loss of jobs for most Bahamians were directly or indirectly relied on this lucrative industry. Although beaches were closed and strict directives generated towards discouraging social interactions, the Bahamian government continued to entertain the tourist access of these beaches (Wallace, 2020). The racial aspect is clearly visible in these directives since the black Bahamians are forced to stay at home and postpone their social events only for white tourists to be given access to these resort facilities. Several media reports purported that white tourists in possession of fake Covid certificates were allowed to enjoy the closed beaches as well as have destination weddings (Wallace, 2020). At the same time, ordinary Bahamian citizens continue to wait for government directives so that they can either postpone or cancel their social events. These instances are a clear reminder of the legacy of racism and servitude that were still prevalent in the Bahamian society and continue to present more pain than harm to the black lives of the Bahamian people. Through the lens of the tourists, the place of a Bahamian is to serve and make their stay memorable. They believe that the black Bahamians had no value outside the duties of maintaining and sustaining the sanctuary of the Bahamas to the outside world. The cultural reality among the Bahamian society concerning racism in the tourism sector is actually distorted. According to most Bahamian people, though the evidence of mistreatments is clearly visible in their workstations, at the end of the day, it is the only industry that helps to put food on the table. Most Bahamians have been made to contend with this vice and continue to worship the white tourists for their dollars (Wallace, 2020). More emphasis on this mentality is catalyzed by their aspiration to live for the Bahamian dream, which borrows its ideas on the lives of wealthy tourists living in mega-resorts compared to the tropical plantations (Curry, 2020). The Bahamian leadership also borrows a lot from these foreigners. Hence, they are puppets to their requests which further promote marginalization and discrimination along racial lines. The young population has abandoned their rich cultural values and embraced that of the white tourists who enticed them with tips to put them in the servitude cage (Curry, 2020). Even though the local elite persons downplay these negative cultural realities, their efforts usually land on deaf ears as the situation on the ground for most workers in the tourism industry is different. To them, survival is the only motivating factor to their endeavors. The element of servitude has affected their misjudgments on what is right for them, forcing them to live under the spell of foreign tourists who come to the Bahamas to scatter their enormous wealth. The Bahamian society has continually embraced the prevalence of race in their lives since the social issues of racial profiling, white privilege, wealth inequality, class, and colorism are still wide and open in their communities. Moreover, the government continues to propagate these vices by appointing corrupted leaders by these social evils in critical government positions. Solutions to Prevent Racism Several measures need to be undertaken by the government and members of the general public to curb racism in all sectors of the economy, more so in the tourism industry. The bedrock of the racial ills majorly arose from the government structures which aimed at projecting the Bahamas as the ultimate tourist destination. The brands used created the servitude mentality for the black Bahamian society towards the wealthy white tourists. Therefore, the government should set up cultural events that project the Bahamian woman not in terms of their body but through the rich cultural heritage that the Bahamian people possess. Additionally, strict policies against racism should be set up significantly in high-end resorts and casinos (Wallace, 2020). Violators should undergo public humiliation, be subjected to face imprisonment, and in dire cases be deported. The culture of privilege and rank through racial orders should be dealt with, and the elite social clubs and gated white communities that encourage this anti-social be exposed. Another solution to prevent racism lies in the government diversification programs of the Bahamian economy. Racism is primarily witnessed in tourism which is considered as the significant economic stimuli of the Bahamas. Efforts by the government to boost the agricultural industry will offer more options to the poor black Bahamian communities to have alternative sources of income. This technique will catalyze the country's economy by adding more dollars to its basket and reducing its reliance on tourism. This overreliance notion has led to drastic economic losses in the hotel industry due to the effects of the corona pandemic. More importantly, the Bahamian government should create public awareness for its people on racism issues and their social effects on its cultural heritage. Bahamians need to engage in open and frank discussions about racism issues (Curry, 2020). In line with this, the formation of a national truth and reconciliation commission should be adopted to address the issues raised in these racial conversations. Historically and in contemporary Bahamian society, it has become clear that the prevalence of racism is still one of the social disorders that need to be dealt with. However, the black Bahamian people should not allow the legacy of slavery, which thrives under racism and marginalization, to corrupt their cultural, political, and social patterns continually. More emphasis should not be put on the tourists' dollars at the expense of the poor black Bahamian people, but a different attitude should be created in promoting tourism in the Bahamas. The rich cultural heritage, beautiful people, and paradise features of the Bahamas should be directed against the attitudes of servitude that breed an inferiority mindset and racial discrimination. Works Cited Curry, Christopher. "Race, Power, and Privilege." University of The Bahamas, 5 June 2020, www.ub.edu.bs/race-power-privilege/. Powles, Louis D. "The Land of the Pink Pearl: Louis Diston Powles: Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming: Internet Archive." Internet Archive, 1888, archive.org/details/landpinkpearl00powlgoog/page/n18/mode/1up. Saunders, Gail. "The Bahamas in the Post-Emancipation Period." Race and Class in the Colonial Bahamas, 1880-1960, 2016, pp. 14-33. Wallace, Alicia. "The Racist Cost of a Pandemic Vacation in the Bahamas." Medium, 19 Sept. 2020, momentum.medium.com/the-racist-cost-of-a-pandemic-vacation-in-the-bahamas-1d8d7a10b726.
A Message of Hope for these Troubled Times We are living in dark times. We are fearful, we are anxious, our hearts go out to our sisters and brothers in Ukraine and for countries along its borders struggling to support and help the stream of refugees. For the Russian people whose rights are being taken from them, for the people of Belarus, which now it seems is virtually a puppet state of Putin. We are frightened at the speed in which war has returned to the streets of Europe, something we never thought would happen again and we worry about how worse things might become. This could so easily spin out of control. Throughout history in times of desperation, when we don't feel God is listening or even feel angry at God who doesn't appear to answer our prayers, people have been drawn to the psalms. The book of Psalms has been at the centre of both Jewish and Christian worship for thousands of years and when we pray the psalms. These words join us with millions of both Jews and Christians across the world. Those who have gone before us have used these songs as part of their prayer life, often in times of great suffering. So I am very much drawn to the psalms now. Compiled from lyrics used in Temple worship the psalms contain hymns, psalms of thanksgiving, royal psalms and psalms of lament. The word lament is not one we hear very much nowadays. We don't do a lot of lamenting. Our TV advertisements are full of happy, smiley people. We are fed a message that we should flourish and thrive but that seems to mean we should expect and seek individual happiness above all else. If you look at films and dramas it seems the only love that is worth having is romantic love between two individuals and that should be one which always has to exist in a heightened state of excitement. We also do a lot of blame – it's always someone's fault but not our own – as if the whole world was some sort of ambulance chasing exercise. But lament is not about blame and it's not about pretending things are different to how they really are. Lament is an expression of deep grief, a reflection on the pain and sorrow of the world. Lent is a season of lament but as we look around our world – at the war damaged buildings, at our fears for the future of our planet if we do not tackle climate change, at what this virus can still do especially in countries without access to vaccines – this year especially seems a time to lament and lament is something we do collectively not just as individuals. We confess our sins of commission and omission as communities, nations and indeed as humankind. And the psalms help us see that down the ages people have felt as we do. They are brutally honest – the psalmist is often angry, hopeless, desperate. The psalms help us see that faith does not mean and never has meant that we are insulated from the troubles of the world. The psalm appointed for the Second Sunday in Lent is Psalm 27 and its words capture that ambiguity – that it is inevitable and will always haunt our faith. Threats and danger run through this psalm. Enemies are encircling around the psalmist, family members, even parents seem to have abandoned them. Liars rise up against him. It is a picture of fear, and anarchy. A picture we can recognise today. A picture of war-torn Ukraine but also of Russia where even just to go out into the streets to protest can lead to imprisonment, even for children. A picture of what it is like to live in a totalitarian state where close family and friends; for fear of their own safety; often betray others. Yet – look how the psalm begins. Verse 1 reads "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" This is a clear statement of belief in a strong personal relationship with our God. This psalm tells us that whilst we face great uncertainty we also have trust. The way this psalm unfolds speaks to me. It begins in a victorious mode – enemies will be overthrown and fear vanquished. But then, the tone changes. The psalmist is apparently no longer confident that they can take on an enemy but simply seeks safety. The psalm describes what we experience when we are anxious and afraid. There are times we think we can cope. If God is for me who shall be against me? But there are times we feel not only that we cannot cope but that we have been abandoned: "Do not hide your face from me." "Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help." Because it's very easy to say we have trust in God but very difficult to do in times of great suffering. This is a time of lament. A time to admit we are uncertain and afraid. The words of Psalm 27 also include words of trust, prayers for deliverance, as well as lament and a call for help. Moving from one of these to another, points out the challenges we face as people of faith. The news on our TV screens, the circumstances of our lives can shake our belief in a loving God. It can feel as if the only response to our heartfelt prayers is an empty echo. Why doesn't God answer our prayers which goodness knows are good and valid ones? Yet the psalm both begins and ends with trust. Words of reassurance that God is indeed with us. And what about laments? On the one hand, yes, they are an expression of sadness and pain in a distressing and suffering world. Times of lament are truly difficult times. But lament is not a time of hopelessness. The psalms of lament presuppose that God exists, and that God does hear us and has the power to turn things around. I read a sermon recently which had been preached at the St Margaret's Anglican chaplaincy in Budapest by Revd Solomon Ekiyor, a refugee from Ukraine. He said that the "war profoundly disrupts our lives and plans but our faith also gives us the resources to meet those questions". He spoke of the long history of disruptions that are part of the life of the people of God from the Exodus onwards. He said God has a way of working with evil and suffering: improvising and weaving it into the tapestry of his purpose in the world. He continued "It is for each of us now to ask his guidance on what new purpose he has for each of us in this situation". I was very moved by his trust in what are the most difficult and dangerous of circumstances for him and his family knowing how anxious and helpless I am feeling, though this war hardly touches me in the way that it does Revd Ekiyor. His hope made me reflect on the fact that what is lamentable can change into something that is good. Verse 16 of Psalm 27 ends on a note of trust and of hope. "I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!". Sometimes that is all we feel we can hang on to and sometimes only hang on with difficulty but sometimes that is enough. Perhaps right now it has to be enough. Revd Andrea Jones, Rector of St Deiniol's, Hawarden
Transform Your Appearance: Discover the Best Face Lift in Istanbul with Dr. Alper Kurt Introduction to Plastic Surgery in Turkey Plastic surgery has become increasingly popular worldwide, with people seeking various procedures to enhance their appearance. One country that has gained significant recognition in the field of plastic surgery is Turkey. Renowned for its skilled surgeons, state-of-the-art facilities, and affordable prices, Turkey has become a go-to destination for individuals looking to transform their appearance through plastic surgery. Among the many procedures offered, the face lift stands out as one of the most sought-after surgeries. If you are considering a face lift, Istanbul is the perfect city to embark on this transformative journey. Dr. Alper Kurt, the best plastic surgeon in Istanbul, is here to guide you through the process and help you achieve a youthful and rejuvenated appearance. Why Choose Turkey for Plastic Surgery? 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Meet Dr. Alper Kurt – The Best Plastic Surgeon in Istanbul When it comes to plastic surgery in Istanbul, Dr. Alper Kurt is a name that stands out. With his exceptional surgical skills, artistic eye, and dedication to patient satisfaction, Dr. Kurt has established himself as the best plastic surgeon in the city. He is known for his natural approach to plastic surgery, ensuring that his patients achieve results that enhance their features without looking overdone. Dr. Kurt's extensive experience and meticulous attention to detail make him a trusted choice for individuals seeking facial rejuvenation. His personalized approach and ability to listen to his patients' concerns allow for tailored treatment plans that address their specific needs. With Dr. Kurt, you can trust that you are in the hands of a skilled professional who is committed to helping you achieve your desired aesthetic goals. The Process of Getting a Face Lift in Istanbul Embarking on a face lift journey in Istanbul with Dr. Alper Kurt is a straightforward and well-structured process. It begins with an initial consultation, where you will have the opportunity to discuss your goals, concerns, and expectations with Dr. Kurt. During this consultation, Dr. Kurt will thoroughly evaluate your facial structure, skin condition, and overall health to determine the most suitable treatment plan for you. Once the treatment plan is established, the surgery will be scheduled at a time that is convenient for both you and Dr. Kurt. On the day of the procedure, you will be greeted by a professional and caring medical team who will ensure your comfort and well-being throughout the surgery. Dr. Kurt will perform the face lift, utilizing his expertise to achieve natural and harmonious results. After the surgery, you will be provided with detailed aftercare instructions and scheduled for follow-up appointments to monitor your healing progress. What to Expect During and After the Face Lift Procedure During the face lift procedure, you will be under the care of a skilled medical team who will ensure your safety and comfort. The surgery typically takes a few hours, during which Dr. Kurt will make discreet incisions to access the underlying facial tissues. He will then tighten the muscles, remove excess skin, and re-drape the remaining skin to create a smoother and more youthful appearance. After the surgery, you can expect some swelling, bruising, and discomfort, which is a normal part of the healing process. Dr. Kurt and his team will provide you with post-operative instructions to help manage any discomfort and promote optimal healing. It is important to follow these instructions closely and attend all follow-up appointments to ensure a smooth recovery and achieve the best possible results. As the healing progresses, you will gradually see the transformative effects of the face lift, revealing a more youthful and revitalized version of yourself. The Cost of a Face Lift in Istanbul and Available Packages One of the key advantages of choosing Istanbul for your face lift is the affordability without compromising on quality. The cost of a face lift in Istanbul is significantly lower compared to many other countries, making it an attractive option for those seeking facial rejuvenation. The exact cost of the procedure may vary depending on various factors, such as the extent of the surgery, any additional procedures performed, and the specific clinic or hospital chosen. Dr. Alper Kurt offers a range of packages to suit different budgets and requirements, ensuring that everyone can access top-quality plastic surgery in Istanbul. These packages often include the cost of the surgery, pre and post-operative consultations, follow-up appointments, and any necessary medications or dressings. By choosing one of these packages, you can have peace of mind knowing that all aspects of your face lift journey are taken care of. Testimonials from Dr. Alper Kurt's Satisfied Patients Dr. Alper Kurt's exceptional skills and dedication to patient satisfaction have earned him a loyal following of satisfied patients. Here are some testimonials from individuals who have undergone face lifts with Dr. Kurt: - "I am extremely happy with the results of my face lift performed by Dr. Kurt. He listened to my concerns and delivered exactly what I wanted – a natural and refreshed look. I highly recommend him to anyone considering a face lift." – Sarah A. - "Dr. Kurt is a true artist. He transformed my face in a way that exceeded my expectations. The entire experience, from the initial consultation to the final result, was exceptional. I am grateful to have found such a skilled surgeon." – Michael B. - "I was hesitant about getting a face lift, but Dr. Kurt put all my worries at ease. He explained the procedure in detail, answered all my questions, and made me feel comfortable throughout the entire process. The results speak for themselves – I look and feel years younger!" – Emily C. These testimonials are a testament to Dr. Kurt's expertise, professionalism, and ability to deliver outstanding results. With Dr. Kurt as your plastic surgeon, you can trust that you are in capable hands. Planning Your Trip to Istanbul for a Face Lift If you have made the decision to undergo a face lift in Istanbul with Dr. Alper Kurt, it is important to plan your trip accordingly. Start by scheduling your initial consultation well in advance to secure a convenient date and time. Consider the duration of your stay, as the recovery period after a face lift typically requires a few weeks. It is advisable to make arrangements for your accommodation and any necessary travel arrangements, such as flights and transportation. Istanbul offers a diverse range of accommodation options to suit every budget and preference, from luxurious hotels to cozy boutique guesthouses. Take the time to explore the city's rich cultural heritage and vibrant atmosphere, making your journey a memorable experience. Dr. Kurt's friendly and knowledgeable team can provide you with guidance and recommendations to ensure a smooth and enjoyable stay in Istanbul. Conclusion: Achieve a Youthful Appearance with the Best Face Lift in Istanbul Embarking on a face lift journey is an exciting opportunity to enhance your appearance and regain your youthful glow. By choosing Istanbul as your destination and Dr. Alper Kurt as your plastic surgeon, you can ensure a transformative experience that combines expertise, quality, and affordability. Dr. Kurt's natural approach to plastic surgery, coupled with his exceptional surgical skills, makes him the best plastic surgeon in Istanbul. With his guidance and personalized treatment plans, you can achieve a refreshed and rejuvenated appearance that looks natural and harmonious. Take the first step towards transforming your appearance and book a consultation with Dr. Alper Kurt today. Discover the best face lift in Istanbul and embark on a journey towards a more confident and revitalized you. CTA: Dr. Alper Kurt is a renowned plastic surgeon for face lifts in Istanbul, Turkey. He is known for natural plastic surgery in Istanbul, Turkey. Schedule your consultation today to begin your transformative journey.
The device incorporates advances in micro-nanotechnologies whereby, in a miniaturised laboratory mode, the required reagents are mixed with a sample of the patient. Thanks to miniaturisation, the result of the analysis is obtained in a matter of minutes – very advantageous in providing a rapid and precise diagnosis and one without the need of a laboratory infrastructure which, in turn, enables a speedy start to treatment. Reading of the device will be simple based, as it is, on luminous indicators that tell if the result is positive or negative, the identification corresponding to the presence of specific genetic sequences of the microbian agents causing the pathology or of the cancer patient. Future applications that this microchip could be used for are of great importance, as they can provide genetic diagnosis tools for doctors to carry out early diagnoses of diseases associated with our genetic inheritance or with the malfunctioning of the mechanisms for the translation of our genetic code such as, possibly, the degenerative pathologies of Parkinsons and Alzheimer, amongst others, or of metabolic disorders. Another field of application of great interest is in the forensic field, medical tests for paternity or even prenatal diagnosis. In this way, Ikerlan-IK4 and Gaiker-IK4 researchers have focused on colorectal cancer in order to achieve, within a period of three years, a reliable method of detection and prognosis of the stage of the disease This minilaboratory will speedily indicate if the patient is carrying this disease and, if affirmative, at which stage it is, thus enabling appropriate and effective treatment. But, moreover, it will be able to determine if there is a tendency to have this illness and so facilitate the adoption of preventive measures to avoid the disease in the first place. The existence of minilaboratories will also mean important advances in enhancing quality within the health system, given that hospital admissions will be reduced, the time spent in admission will be cut as will costs in diagnosis. The application of this device will have a significant effect on preventive and health clinic medical care, due to its accessibility in terms of cost and portability. This last point is of considerable interest to developing and less favoured countries, where the authorities will have at their disposal effective tools for the prevention and control of infectious diseases. Note: This article has been adapted from a news release issued by Elhuyar Fundazioa.
Astrophysics, the branch of astronomy that employs the principles of physics and chemistry to ascertain the nature of the heavenly bodies, may seem like a realm reserved for scientists and scholars. Yet, the essence of this complex field can be conveyed through the art of storytelling, not only to illuminate the mysteries of the cosmos but also to make them feel within reach of the general public. By weaving narratives that connect the intricacies of stellar phenomena with everyday experiences, astrophysics becomes a subject that invites curiosity and fosters a deeper connection between scientific discovery and the collective imagination. Accessible science storytelling serves as a bridge, transforming the abstract and often impenetrable data into stories that resonate, educate, and inspire. It renders the unfathomable scale of the universe into a context that is easier for people to comprehend and relate to. Through engaging communication strategies and educational approaches that prioritize clarity and engagement, this fusion of science and narrative invites a broader audience to partake in the wonders of space exploration. In sharing these stories, scientists and communicators accept the challenge of distilling complex concepts while enhancing public understanding and engagement, bringing distant worlds tantalizingly close. In the field of astrophysics, science storytelling serves as a vital bridge between complex theories and public understanding, transforming abstract concepts into relatable tales. Compelling narratives in science leverage the innate curiosity and wonder that space evokes. They unfold much like a story, with a beginning that introduces the scientific mystery, a middle detailing the pursuit of understanding, and an end that reveals the findings, often leaving room for further questions. Especially in the context of astrophysics, these narratives may trace the lifecycle of a star or the search for exoplanets, embedding the hard data within the universal themes of exploration and discovery. Balancing emotion and facts is the keystone of effective science storytelling. Emotion draws readers in and connects them on a human level to the marvels of the universe, while the integration of facts provides the substance and credibility that satisfy intellectual curiosity. This equilibrium ensures stories not only inspire but also inform, fulfilling the dual objectives of education and engagement. Effective science talks and public narration require distilling dense topics into digestible presentations without oversimplifying the science. This often involves using analogies and visuals that resonate with audiences and elucidating the significance of recent advancements in space exploration. The goal is to leave the audience with a clear understanding of the subject and a sense of the greater implications for humanity's place in the cosmos. Effective science communication strategies involve tailoring content to your audience and leveraging a variety of channels and media to convey information. The use of compelling visuals can significantly enhance the understanding and retention of complex information. The key to engaging different audiences lies in understanding their interests and level of knowledge. For general enthusiasts, simplifying complex terms without oversimplification is vital. Detailed explanations with thorough background information suit academic readers. Interest-specific customization, such as focusing on the technological aspects for engineering circles, fosters better engagement. Communication channels are diverse and should be selected based on the target audience. Traditional media like books and television still have a strong reach but are complemented by digital platforms, including social media and blogs, which offer dynamic interaction with content. Podcasts appeal to audiences that favor auditory learning or storytelling. Visuals play a critical role in conveying abstract astrophysics concepts to a broader audience. Infographics can summarize complex data, while diagrams and animations make intricate processes understandable. Astronomical imagery, when accurately represented, not only informs but can captivate, drawing more people into the wonders of astrophysics and space exploration. Astrophysics and space science are rapidly evolving fields that face the complex task of making their discoveries and insights accessible to the broader public. These disciplines are particularly vulnerable to the dual challenges of misinformation and balancing technical detail with accessibility. They must convey complex concepts to the general public who may not have a scientific background while ensuring the integrity of the information remains intact. Misinformation poses a significant challenge in the realm of scientific communication. The spread of inaccurate or misleading information can distort public understanding and appreciation of astrophysics. With the context of space exploration often sensationalized in popular media, establishing factual narratives is crucial. Reliable communicators must verify all facts and data, employing a fact-checking rigor that leaves no room for error. They play a vital role in correcting false claims and ensuring that only scientifically sound information reaches the public. Space science experts face the difficult task of explaining intricate concepts without using complex jargon. This balance is key to maintaining engagement and fostering an understanding of astrophysics that excites and inspires. Making this content accessible to individuals without a scientific background requires clear explanations and the use of relatable analogies. Encouraging curiosity and providing clear, jargon-free language, content creators can impart both wonder and knowledge, drawing more individuals into the fold of space science enthusiasts. In integrating astrophysics into accessible science storytelling, educational approaches play a pivotal role in cultivating enthusiasm and understanding among students and prospective science communicators. Engaging graduate students in astrophysics requires innovative teaching methods that go beyond traditional lectures. Initiatives like STEM teaching pedagogies, which incorporate storyboarding and storytelling, have been shown to enhance brain synchronization between teachers and students. This kind of engagement not only fosters a deeper connection to the material but also prepares students for a future in the burgeoning field of space exploration. The next generation of science communicators needs targeted training to effectively bridge the gap between complex scientific concepts and public understanding. Utilizing narratives, as suggested by research on the use of storytelling in teaching physics, can endow science communicators with the skills to convey information vividly and relatably. Therefore, emphasizing storytelling in graduate programs and workshops can lead to more compelling and accessible science communication, important for platforms like SpaceVoyage Ventures that seek to demystify space travel. Personal stories and public perception play a critical role in communicating complex scientific issues. The following case studies examine how narrative techniques can engage audiences with topics such as climate change and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Narrative Approach: by weaving personal stories into the broader climate change dialogue, communicators are able to foster a stronger connection between audiences and the often-intangible concept of climate change. For instance, the story of a family affected by extreme weather events can transform abstract statistics into tangible experiences. Impact on Public Perception: These narratives personalize climate change, making its effects more relatable and urgent. By shifting from mere data presentation to incorporating human elements, storytellers can elevate the concern and instill a sense of responsibility in the public, potentially leading to more support for climate action initiatives. Informative Engagement: The discussion of GMOs benefits from stories that highlight the scientific research and advancements behind them. When presenting GMOs as a solution for food security, a narrative can explore the journey of a scientist dedicated to ending hunger, thereby demystifying the technology and addressing common misconceptions. Influence on Decision Making: By focusing on the positive impacts of GMOs through success stories, such as increased crop yields and reduced pesticide use, storytellers can alter the public perception in favor of GMO acceptance. This shift is critical in forming public policy and promoting scientific advancements. The recent advancements in science and technology are transforming how we understand and interact with the cosmos, making the marvels of astrophysics more accessible than ever before. In the realm of technological innovation, coding has become a vital tool in interpreting complex neural activity. Scientists utilize sophisticated algorithms to translate brain waves into actionable data, leading to breakthroughs in understanding cognitive processes. Research in astrophysics and technology continues to impact society on multiple fronts. Initiatives to bring fusion power to the grid are reducing the scientific and technological gaps, paving the way for a sustainable energy future with far-reaching societal benefits. Advances in technologies are also enabling immersive experiences that combine storytelling with data visualization, making it possible to share indigenous astronomical knowledge in compelling ways. In the realm of astrophysics, creating a shared understanding is pivotal to making the wonders of the cosmos relatable to the everyday experiences of individuals. Through initiatives like linking science to personal lives and hosting mini-symposiums, this connection is fostered, engaging a broader audience in the grand narrative of space exploration. When astrophysics is intertwined with personal experiences, the subject transforms from abstract concepts to tangible realities. By highlighting how cosmic events influence Earth's environment or explaining the materials found in common devices that have origins in space research, individuals realize the impact of astrophysics on their daily lives. This realization cements a personal connection with space science, illustrating its relevance and stirring innate curiosity. Mini-symposiums serve as a catalyst for public engagement, providing platforms where experts and laypeople converge to discuss the latest findings in astrophysics. Scheduled talks, interactive sessions, and Q&A segments demystify complex topics and encourage active participation. By carefully crafting these events to cater to non-specialists, a shared understanding emerges, promoting a collective enthusiasm for the science of the stars and beyond. Science journalism plays a vital role in translating complex astrophysical concepts into accessible stories. In amidst a rapidly evolving landscape, Washington, DC, and notable publications such as the Journal of Neuroscience exemplify the intersection of science policy and engaging storytelling. Washington, DC has long been the epicenter for national science policy, shaping the dialogue between scientists and the public. With numerous federal agencies like NASA and the National Science Foundation headquartered in the capital, science writers in the district are strategically placed to influence and communicate science policy. They act as a bridge, ensuring that noteworthy scientific advancements are translated into public knowledge, which supports informed decision-making and promotes educational outreach. The Journal of Neuroscience stands as a prime example of scientific communication's power. By publishing peer-reviewed research, this journal not only facilitates the scholarly exchange but also provides science writers with credible sources for their narratives. Their work illuminates complex neuroscience findings, making them comprehensible and captivating for a broader audience. Through careful reporting, they strive to ensure that the intricate workings of the brain are no longer esoteric but enlightening tales of human biology. The "Frequently Asked Questions" section provides insights and strategies for enhancing the public's understanding of astrophysics through compelling storytelling techniques. Scientists can translate complex astrophysics research into engaging stories by relying on vivid analogies, simple visuals, and relatable narratives. Understanding the art of scientific storytelling is essential for making the content not only informative but also captivating to a wide audience. To improve communication in science storytelling, one should focus on clear language, an organized structure, and the use of sensory language to paint mental images. Additionally, actively seeking feedback from diverse audiences can refine the approach to ensure it resonates well with non-specialists. By bridging this gap, the public gains a better appreciation of the universe and the value of scientific research. An informed audience can support science policies that foster further astrophysical discoveries and can inspire future generations of scientists. Social media platforms have become pivotal in disseminating scientific research, as they offer an avenue to share engaging science stories rapidly and interactively to a global audience. These platforms can amplify scientific messages and foster community engagement. To make astrophysics research more accessible, scientists can incorporate storytelling elements, simplify jargon, and connect findings to everyday experiences. Talking about a topic in physics through stories, for example, has evidence of improving student engagement. Effective science communication demonstrates the societal and technological impact of research, which is crucial for policymakers. As the public becomes more knowledgeable about the implications of astrophysics, they become more likely to support policies that encourage scientific innovation.
Investing should be easy – just buy low and sell high – but most of us have trouble following that simple advice. There are principles and strategies that may enable you to put together an investment portfolio that reflects your risk tolerance, time horizon, and goals. Understanding these principles and strategies can help you avoid some of the pitfalls that snare some investors. The Real Cost of a Vacation Home What if instead of buying that vacation home, you invested the money? Have A Question About This Topic? TIPS for Inflation If you are concerned about inflation and expect short-term interest rates may increase, TIPS could be worth considering. Your Shifting Risk Tolerance Time and market performance may subtly and slowly imbalance your portfolio. Rebalancing Your Portfolio Over time, different investments' performances can shift a portfolio's intent and risk profile. Rebalancing may be critical. Impact Investing or Philanthropy This fun piece can help your clients explore the benefits of impact investing versus founding a philanthropy. Don't Be Your Own Worst Enemy Emotional biases can adversely impact financial decision making. Here's a few to be mindful of. Best-Performing Asset Classes Bonds may outperform stocks one year only to have stocks rebound the next. View all articles What Is the Dividend Yield? This calculator helps determine your pre-tax and after-tax dividend yield on a particular stock. Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings Use this calculator to compare the future value of investments with different tax consequences. Contributing to an IRA? Determine if you are eligible to contribute to a traditional or Roth IRA. Impact of Taxes and Inflation Estimate the potential impact taxes and inflation can have on the purchasing power of an investment. Saving for College This calculator can help you estimate how much you should be saving for college. How Compound Interest Works Use this calculator to better see the potential impact of compound interest on an asset. View all calculators Bridging the Confidence Gap In the world of finance, the effects of the "confidence gap" can be especially apparent. Behavioral Finance An amusing and whimsical look at behavioral finance best practices for investors. 16 Wall Street Cliches in 60 Seconds Pundits say a lot of things about the markets. Let's see if you can keep up. What Can a Million Dollars Buy You? $1 million in a diversified portfolio could help finance part of your retirement. The Junk Drawer Approach to Investing It's easy to let investments accumulate like old receipts in a junk drawer. Jane Bond: Scaling the Ladder Agent Jane Bond is on the case, uncovering the mystery of bond laddering. View all videos
In this article, we will try to explain the concept of national income accounting, methods of measuring national income, and the problems associated with the measurement of national income. Before reading this article, we recommend reading and understanding the important concepts of gross domestic product and GDP growth rate. The flow of this article goes in the following manner. Concept of National Income Accounting Measurement Methods of National Income Important Measures of National Income and Product Account Difficulties/Problems in Measurement of National Income Concept of National Income Accounting It is an accounting system to measures economic activities in a logical and consistent framework. National income accounting rests upon the fundamental identity of national income accounting. This very fundamental identity of national income accounting is, Total Production = Total Expenditure = Total Income This way national income accounting shows the relationships among expenditure, income, and production methods of measuring national aggregates. The identity is self-satisfactory because we can consider one's expenditure to be another's income if we view it from the national perspective. Similarly, the output of a nation implies the income of that nation. The famous classical theory in macroeconomics, Say's law of the market, provides some sort of rationale behind this logic. Measurement Methods of National Income Based on the national income accounting identity, there are three approaches or measurement methods of national income accounting. They are the income method as Gross Domestic Income (GDI), expenditure method as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and product method as Gross Value Added. All of these methods are the same and produce the equivalent result subject to statistical discrepancy, which mainly results from data sources, timing differences, and estimation techniques. As we know GDP and GDI are the most famous measures of national income accounting, definitions, and calculation methods center around these measures. The concepts employed in the measurement of GDP and GDI will also equally apply in the measurement of other important measures of national income (we will explain later on) with slight adjustments to the measures under consideration. Now let's explain each of the methods one by one. Measuring Gross Value Added: Production Method GDP is the current market value of final products currently produced within the economy. Practically, GDP is obtained as the sum of gross value added by all the industries classified as per the industrial classification system adopted in the economy. As this method sums gross value added by industries, GDP shows the industrial composition of the final output. Since GDP is the market value, it excludes non-market values in the GDP measure primarily for the sake of simplicity. For example, GDP excludes non-market values such as household services, production for self-consumption, and government-provided services (national defense, police protection, firefighting, and education). Similarly, the GDP measure excludes goods and services produced in an underground economy or black market economy. These facts result in GDP as the imperfect measure of domestic output. However, imputed value (an estimate of the equivalent market value of non-traded goods and services) rescues the imperfection of GDP as a domestic output measure. The standard practice to impute government-provided services is to value these services at the cost of providing them. Now, let's go through the two methods under the production method of measuring GDP. Final Product Method Under this method, we can measure GDP by summing up the final value of outputs of each industry in the economy. However, this method suffers from the problem of double counting while differentiating which one is the final or intermediate product. This final product method is a more or less equivalent concept to the gross output of industries. Note that GDP only includes the value of final products. Value Added Method It is the value-added method to find the value of the final product by surpassing the problem of double counting found in the final product method. Under this method, the total value of output minus the cost of intermediate consumption provides the value of the final product. In other terms, GDP is the sum of gross value added by industries. The gross value added of an industry, in turn, is the difference between gross output and its intermediate inputs. Where gross output refers to sales plus other operating income and changes in inventory, intermediate inputs refer to the value of goods and services consumed in production. Also note that GDP includes newly produced capital goods inventory investment, and change in inventory during a period. In addition, GDP includes final products produced only in the current period, but not produced in the previous period. Lastly, GDP takes into account the period in which production takes place, so it is a flow variable. Measuring GDP: Expenditure Method In terms of expenditure method, GDP is the total spending on currently produced final products within an economy. More specifically, GDP is the national aggregate of consumption expenditure, private investment expenditure, government expenditure, and net export. This approach identifies the purchases of goods and services by persons, businesses, governments, and foreigners. Mathematically, Y = C + I + G + NX where, C = consumption expenditure made by the public I= private investment made by firms G= government purchase of goods and services NX = net exports (exports – imports) Consumption expenditure Consumption expenditure is also referred to as personal consumption expenditure or consumption, and it includes values of goods and services purchased by persons. Specifically, it includes – Consumer durables – goods that last a long time such as automobiles, electronic goods, appliances, and so on Nondurables – short-lived goods such as food, housing rent service, gasoline, clothing, and so on Services – such as financial services, haircuts, medical care, education, air travel, and so on Private Investment Private Investment or Investment is spending on currently produced goods that are used to produce goods and services over an extended period. It includes the following items: Nonresidential fixed investment (also called business fixed investment on structures, equipment, and intellectual property products) Residential fixed investment – expenditure by household on new houses and apartments Inventory investment – change in inventory during the accounting period valued at average prices of that period We do not include the purchase of existing housing in GDP because it was produced in earlier periods. Housing and apartments are capital goods, so we do not include them in personal consumption expenditure. Government Purchases Government consumption expenditures and gross investment is the alternative term to government purchases. This heading consists of two components viz current consumption expenditures (spending on goods and services for the sake of the public) and gross investment (spending on fixed assets). Put simply, purchases or spending by the government fall under this heading. Net Exports Value of currently produced goods and services exported, or sold to other countries minus the value of goods and services imported, or purchased from abroad. Note that exported goods and services must be currently produced within the economy. We also refer to net exports as the trade balance. Measuring GDI: Income Method Note that the GDP equivalent measure obtained using the income approach is called Gross Domestic Income (GDI). This method adds up all the incomes domestically received by households and firms, including profits and tax revenue to the government. More clearly, GDI is "the sum of income payments and other costs incurred in the production of goods and services". Thus, adding up the mentioned five income categories forms the GDI measure based on income method. Categories of Income for GDI Compensation of employees -includes wages and salaries in cash (mainly monetary remunerations), wages and salaries or fringe benefits in kind (such as transit subsidies, meals, and lodging), and supplements to wages and salaries (such as employer's contribution for pension and insurance) of employees in return for their work. It excludes the incomes of self-employed individuals or proprietors. Taxes on production and imports – incomes of government in the form of income tax, sales tax, real estate property tax, excise taxes, customs duties, and so on. Subsidies – negative incomes (like expenses) of government paid to households, businesses, and government enterprises; so it is a subtraction item in the sum. Net operating surplus – It is income earned by government enterprises and private sectors from the current production before deducting interest, rent, and other property income. More specifically, it is the sum of the incomes of private enterprises and the current surplus of government enterprises. Again, private enterprises include corporate profits and proprietors' income (a measure similar to mixed income in SNA 2008). Consumption of fixed capital (also depreciation) – It is a loss of value of capital either from wear and tear or from the scrapped value of obsolete capital. We have to add depreciation back to GDI to get gross income. The reason is that one gets the net income of the business by subtracting depreciation. We call the measure net domestic income without adding back the depreciation. Important Measures of National Income and Product Account The consolidation of both DGP and GDI and their components make up the Domestic Income and Product Account, which excludes the treatment of net income payments to the rest of the world. Net income payments to the rest of the world are current payments (income paid on investment in domestic assets) to the rest of the world less current receipts (income received on investment in foreign assets) from the rest of the world. The inclusion of net income payments to the rest of the world in the Domestic Income and Product Account results in the National Income and Product Account (NIPA). Both GDP and DGI produce consistent and parallel measures; however, due to differences in data sources, timing, and estimation methods, DGP and DGI differ in amount. The difference in amounts of DGP and GDI is a statistical discrepancy. In addition, GDP amounts to GDI plus statistical discrepancy, which may be a result of the reliability of expenditure data sources over income data sources. Despite GDP and GDI, there are other important NIPA measures. These measures differ in terms of product or income, gross or net, and domestic or national. Generally, one can move from one measure to another measure with the following adjustments: Product to Income by subtracting statistical discrepancy Gross to Net by subtracting depreciation or consumption of fixed capital (CFC) Domestic to National by subtracting net income payments from the rest of the world or adding the net income receipts from the rest of the world Relationships Between Important NIPA Measures Gross National Product (GNP) GNP is equal to GDP minus net income payments to the rest of the world, or equivalently equal to GDP plus net income receipts from the rest of the world. GNP measures production activities attributable to national residents. Net Domestic Product (NDP) It is equal to GDP minus the consumption of fixed capital and measures the output available for consumption and saving. Gross National Income (GNI) It is equal to GNP minus statistical discrepancy and measures the income payments earned and cost incurred in the production of GNP. Net National Product (NNP) NNP is equal to GNP minus consumption of fixed capital, or NDP minus net income payments to the rest of the world. Net Domestic Income (NDI) It is equal to GDI minus consumption of fixed capital, or NDP minus consumption of fixed capital. National Income (NI) This is one of the important measures of national income (NI) and shows how much everyone in the economy has earned. We can get this figure by summing up all the net incomes earned in production. NI can also be referred to as Net National Income. It is also equal to GNI minus CFC, or NDI minus net income payments to the rest of the world or NNP – statistical discrepancy. Difficulties/Problems in Measurement of National Income Despite the importance of national income accounting, there are inherent difficulties and problems in the measurement of national income and its components. The difficulties are as under: Non-traded transactions – The existence of non-traded transactions prevents the precise measurement of national income. Production for self-consumption, service rendered by housewives, rental income of self-owned houses, and the likes not traded in the market. So, it becomes difficult to determine the market value of non-traded goods and services. Problem of double counting – As we know national income measures include only the final products. However, it is not so easy to differentiate final products from intermediate products, because the same product can become an intermediate product in one circumstance and a final product in the other. For example, sugarcane is the final product to produce juice, and it is intermediate in the production of sugar. Existence of black market – Transactions that are conceded by the government fall under the black market or underground economy. It exists either because the goods and services produced are illegal or the transactions are hidden to avoid tax. If such a market exists, the government cannot figure out how large the size of the black market is. Error on imputation – As the value of non-traded transactions is imputed to provide the precise measures of national income, statistical error in estimation results in poor estimation of national accounts. Portfolio investment and second-hand transactions – National income accounting does not include portfolio investment and second-hand transactions, because they only reflect the transactions transferring ownership of already produced goods and services but not the additional production. Changes in prices – As the national income is measured in terms of monetary value, the change in the price of goods and services may result in a change in national income without changing the final products. Lack of reliable and adequate data – Reliable and adequate are the preconditions for perfect measurement of national accounts. However, the availability of such data remains scanty in the face of under development state of the nation, improper accounting practices, and illiteracy. Share on:FacebookTwitterLinkedInPinterest Tagged National Income
Global warming demands immediate and effective actions. One critical aspect of tackling this challenge is the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, specifically carbon dioxide (CO2). Traditional approaches are not sufficient to meet the ambitious climate targets set by the global community. Consequently, there is a growing emphasis on innovative methods to capture CO2 directly from the atmosphere. Current carbon capture technologies are energy-intensive and costly. This limitation highlights the urgent need for alternative, efficient methods. A team of researchers at ETH Zurich led by Professor Maria Lukatskaya has developed a novel approach to direct CO2 capture by harnessing the power of sunlight. In acidic aqueous solutions, CO2 exists in its original state, while in alkaline solutions, it converts to carbonates. This reaction is reversible, depending on the solution's acidity. To manipulate this acidity, the ETH team introduced photoacids into the solution. These special molecules respond to light. In the presence of light, they acidify the liquid, and in darkness, they revert, making the liquid more alkaline. The process begins by passing air through an alkaline solution containing photoacids in the dark, causing CO2 to react and form carbonates. Once a significant amount of carbonates accumulate, the solution is exposed to light, turning acidic and releasing CO2 gas, similar to the effervescence observed in a cola bottle. The released CO2 is then collected in gas tanks. After most CO2 is expelled, the light is turned off, and the cycle restarts. Initially, the researchers found that the photoacids were unstable in water. "In the course of our earliest experiments, we realized that the molecules would decompose after one day," said study lead author Anna de Vries. To overcome this, the team experimented with a mix of water and an organic solvent, eventually finding an optimum ratio that stabilized the photoacids for nearly a month and allowed the required reversible reaction. The new technique stands out from existing carbon capture processes, which typically involve cyclical temperature-based systems requiring significant energy for heating and cooling. By contrast, the ETH Zurich method is more energy-efficient as it eliminates the need for heating, potentially operating solely on sunlight. "Another interesting aspect of our system is that we can go from alkaline to acidic within seconds and back to alkaline within minutes. That lets us switch between carbon capture and release much more quickly than in a temperature-driven system," explained de Vries. Looking ahead, the researchers aim to enhance the stability of photoacid molecules and optimize the process parameters for potential market application. The study is published in the journal Chemistry of Materials. Image Credit: ETH Zurich Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates. Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.
Painter and Decorator Willaston Cheshire (CH64): In these times of continuously changing fashions and styles we seem to be redecorating our houses more and more often. This may not be so much of a problem for some of us who like painting and decorating however for most hard working folks in Willaston it is just one of those tasks that may have to be handed to somebody else. That might be a relative, friend or neighbour, if you're aware of one that's good at decorating, but it's much more likely to be your local Willaston painter and decorator who is qualified and experienced in this work. Using the services of a professional painter and decorator should make certain that your decorating project is completed speedily and correctly and you may be astonished at how much faster your painter and decorator will shoot around and get the job done, much faster and with way less mess than would be the case if you attempted it yourself. And so, in order to get the project moving ahead you'll have to locate a dependable painter and decorator in Willaston. Whether you like it or not, you'll at some juncture have to redecorate your home in Willaston to get it looking tidy once more and to generally brighten it up. This will be essential regardless of how meticulously you maintain it. A fresh coat of paint doesn't just give your precious house a brand new appearance, but it furthermore assists to shield the surface of the walls from damage through moisture, heat, and other contributary circumstances. Whilst many homeowners in Willaston do opt to tackle this type of work themselves, it is generally advisable to call on the assistance of a qualified professional. Advice and guidance concerning the best choice of paints and materials for your decorating project is just one of the important things that a professional Willaston decorator can do. There may be damaged surfaces which require making good and treating with specialist materials prior to starting the project, and some types of paints or wall coverings that aren't suitable for use with certain types of wood. Certain issues might only be revealed when the old materials have been stripped away and removed and it is certainly helpful to have a knowledgeable person on hand to advise you when something such as this occurs. It is for this and several other reasons that so as to get your painting work done properly it is best to hire a professional Willaston painter and decorator as opposed to using an amateur or doing it on your own. A skilled Willaston painter and decorator will be in control of estimating costs by figuring out the quantity of paint and wall coverings required for your job. They'll also remove the existing surface covering utilizing methods that may vary for the materials concerned, but could include paint scrapers, steaming machines, solvent (paint stripper), electric sanding machines, wire brushes, electric heat guns, paint shavers and perhaps even abrasive blasting tools if it is an industrial building. This stripping down will expose the base surface area, which can then be evaluated for defects and damage. Any damages will then be remedied by the decorator to get it ready for priming and undercoating. With both paint and wallpapers it is advisable to make sure that the batches are consistent in colour when you've picked an "off the shelf" product, as these can vary significantly, contributing to problems later. An experienced Willaston painter and decorator will also be happy to concoct the right shade of paint to suit your needs by using either computerised apparatus, or even by hand using cautiously measured quantities. If you are purchasing the paints yourself, ensure you pick up a sufficient quantity to complete the work, so that you will never need to head back to the shop to get more of the same since this can often end up in misery when that certain brand or line is out of stock or has since been discontinued. The United Kingdom's leading authority and professional organisation for painters and decorators is called the Painting and Decorating Association (PDA) and any Willaston painters and decorators that are signed up members of the PDA can generally be relied on to carry out your decorating properly, since its members are properly guaranteed, insured and trained to the uppermost level to give their customers a professional and high quality service. To avoid disputes or arguments as work progresses, it's vital that you thoroughly plan your decorating job before you get in touch with a decorator, so that they will know precisely what they're doing a quote for. You should always be prepared to pay out some extras on top of the original estimated price, since issues often turn up during the decorating work that could not be envisioned beforehand. Before hiring a painter you should always keep in mind that cheap is not always best, so always get a handful of price quotes before coming to a decision. Painting and decorating can be undertaken in Willaston and also in: Childer Thornton, Thornton Hough, Hooton, Ness, Little Sutton, Neston, Great Sutton, Port Sunlight, Bromborough, Hinderton, Raby, Little Neston, Brimstage, Two Mills, Ledsham, Windle Hill, Eastham, Burton, and in these postcodes CH64 1ST, CH64 2UR, CH64 2TY, CH64 2UY, CH64 2UT, CH64 1SR, CH64 2TD, CH64 1SQ, CH64 1TQ, CH64 2TU. Local Willaston painters and decorators will most likely have the dialling code 0151 and the postcode CH64. Checking this should guarantee that you access a local painter and decorator. Willaston property owners can utilise these and various other related services. External Painting Willaston Since the exterior of your home in Willaston is the very first thing that visitors and passers by see, the way that your property looks on the outside should be a source of immense pride. If you would like it to stick out from the crowd you can employ a local painter and decorator to brighten the exterior features of your property. Whether you are doing it for your own benefit or are simply reviving the appearance of your house so that you can sell it, you will need the work to be completed professionally. Parts that can be treated, painted or cleaned to reinvigorate your house in Willaston include: - Gates, Fences and Railings - Painted Masonry - Windows and Frames - Garages, Outbuildings and Garden Sheds - Brickwork - Soffits and Fascias - Barge Boards - Rendering - Door Frames and Doors - Downpipes and Rain Gutters Paint Effects Willaston There are a lot of different paint effects that you can employ to give your home in Willaston some more character and depth. You can play with texture and colour in many different ways. So, what are these different ways? Different kinds of paint: - Washes are like normal paint that has been thinned down and is more susceptible to showing brush marks that adds texture. - Glazes can give a glow or sheen to walls. They're more transparent than washes. - Types of paint ie low sheen paint vs glossy paint. Various techniques for different effects: Rag Painting and Rolling - Using a crumpled cloth, this technique gives the walls an effect of material - velvet, silk etc. You can get different effects with different materials. Start with a solid base colour and then choose between "ragging on" and "ragging off". Ragging on means you put the paint on with the rag, ragging off means you paint normally and lift off some paint using a rag. There is also rag rolling, where you roll the cloth and then dip it into the paint. This rolled cloth then becomes your roller as you apply the paint by rolling the rolled cloth across the walls. Broken Colour Effects - By layering 2 colours you can get a mottled or textured effect, or by using a single colour and applying a glaze in broken layers. Sponge Painting - Apply a base coat then use a sponge to apply a glaze or wash (or a different coloured paint). More than one type of paint can be used. Or, the sponge can be used to create texture after a complete layer of paint has been applied, by "sponging off" some paint before it has dried. Other Effects - Your neighbourhood painter and decorator in Willaston can offer advice and demonstrate examples of many other effects. Some other effects might include stamping, gilding, stippling, marbling and distressing. Front Door Painting Willaston Your front entrance, and in particular your front door is the initial impression that anyone gets when rocking up to your house in Willaston. Therefore, having a front door which is squeaky-clean and fresh is crucial if you would like your house to have that real WOW factor. This is somewhat easier with uPVC front doors, which might just need a swift wash down to get them gleaming once more, but a little more maintenance and upkeep might be needed with wooden front doors. A timber front door, whether painted wood or "real" wood, will deteriorate over time, even when kept nice and clean. The Willaston weather will clearly play a significant part in this, with a combination of damp, sunlight, wind and frost, all having a bearing on this. If your front door in Willaston has started to look discoloured and dull, or the paint has begun to peel, crack and flake, it might be a good time to bring in the pros. It is of course possible for you to paint or varnish your own wooden front door, if you are good at DIY, however painting doors certainly isn't the most simple job in the world. It will be necessary to remove the old damaged paint, repair/fill any damages areas or blemishes, sand the door down, give it a primer and undercoat, and finally varnish or gloss it to your chosen finish or colour, and your local Willaston painter and decorator will be furnished with all the knowhow, skills and equipment to carry out all these processes. When front doors get shabby, many householders in Willaston opt to swap them for new ones. However, it isn't really necessary to swap it, because by repainting (or re-varnishing) it, you can make your front door like new again. Following this route is both a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly answer to the issue. While the majority of Willaston painters & decorators will not have sophisticated woodworking skills, they'll usually still be prepared to do minor repair work on your front door where necessary. They will often also clean and refurbish door furniture, locks and hinges during this procedure, especially if they've been thoughtlessly smeared with paint in the course of previous remedial work. Wallpaper Hanging Willaston The mere suggestion of hanging wallpaper sends a shiver along the spine of many property owners in Willaston. However, as there are several experienced painters and decorators in Willaston, you won't have to stress. Whether you are aiming to hang washable vinyl wall covering, luxurious flock wallpaper, traditional patterned wallpaper or ordinary lining paper, a reputable Willaston painter and decorator will swiftly have it up on your wall and looking perfect. If there is existing wallpaper that needs scraping off before the work can commence, this trusty tradesman will undertake this messy task as well, and while doing so repair any holes to make a pristine surface on which to work. (Tags: Wallpapering Willaston, Wallpaper Hanging Willaston, Hanging Wallpaper Willaston, Wallpaperers Willaston). Painting a Ceiling Painting a ceiling can be a daunting task, even for seasoned DIYers; it is often best to leave it to the professionals. Here are the reasons why hiring a professional for this job is advisable: Professional painters have the experience and knowledge to achieve a faultless finish. Proper surface preparation is important to them, so they fill cracks, smooth out imperfections, and prime the ceiling. Their meticulous approach ensures a high-quality, long-lasting finish, free from streaks, drips, and uneven coverage. Painting a ceiling can be physically demanding and time-consuming, particularly if you're inexperienced. Professionals have the right tools and techniques to work effectively, which means they can complete the job much faster than a DIYer. This means you can get back to your normal routine quicker, with little mess and disruption. (36172 - Ceiling Painting Willaston) Searching For Painters and Decorators Online The urge for most when they're trying to find tradesmen in Willaston, is to head online with their laptop or phone. You can obtain instant results with the use of Bing, Yahoo, Ask or Google, and certainly that is the wonderful thing about today's search engines. One dilemma is often that the first page results offered by the major search engines may not exactly be the ones you were after. When trying to track down painters and decorators in Willaston, you will more than likely enter "painter and decorator Willaston", "painter and decorator near me", "painters and decorators in Willaston" or "Willaston painter and decorator" into the search engine and see what listing results this displays. Just to let you know, you will usually realise that the first and last 4 results will be some type of "paid for" advertising, whilst the majority of the remainder will likely be online directories such as Scoot, Three Best Rated, Yelp or Yell, or listings for corporate lead creation websites like Quotatis, My Hammer, TrustaTrader, Checkatrade, Bidvine or Rated People, which might or might not be helpful. If you take a look at page two or three of the search engine results you may perhaps be more likely to find websites belonging to actual painters and decorators in your area. Therefore you must dig deeper to find them. It is not every painter and decorator that's actually got a company website, therefore it's still reasonable to make use of a trade portal like Rated People or My Builder to determine exactly who is currently operating in your area. Painter and Decorator's Tools Painters and Decorators need a wide range of tools to carry on their trade, and to achieve all the duties required of them they will at the very least need scrapers, dust sheets, paint rollers, a wallpaper steamer, extension poles, a decorator's edge, decorating scissors, paint scuttles and kettles, wallpaper brushes, platforms and ladders, roller trays, a paint stirrer, a radial sander, roller sleeves and assorted paint brushes. Related Tasks You will locate that there's a lot of tasks that most painters and decorators ought to be happy to deal with inside and outside your house in Willaston and examples of these are: special paint effects in Willaston, lounge wallpapering, painting internal walls Willaston, concrete painting, painting brick walls in Willaston, distressed painting in Willaston, silk finish painting, wallpaper stripping in Willaston, commercial painting and decorating, painting internal windows, floor sanding and resealing, acrylic painting in Willaston, painting of skirting boards, painting effects, bedroom wallpapering, industrial painting services, commercial painting, painting of door frames in Willaston, external painting and decorating Willaston, matt painting Willaston, painting skirting boards in Willaston, floor varnishing, paint graining effects, wallpaper bordering Willaston, house painting in Willaston, exterior painting, painting door frames in Willaston, painting barge boards and fascias, wallpaper repairs, painting of walls, wallpaper steaming in Willaston, emulsion painting, internal painting and decorating Willaston, painting plaster walls, marbling and graining, and more not mentioned here. These are just a selection of the activities that are carried out by a painter and decorator. Willaston contractors will be happy to inform you of their whole range of decorating services. Near Willaston Also find: Windle Hill painters and decorators, Great Sutton painters and decorators, Ness painters and decorators, Hinderton painters and decorators, Ledsham painters and decorators, Port Sunlight painters and decorators, Hooton painters and decorators, Little Sutton painters and decorators, Thornton Hough painters and decorators, Childer Thornton painters and decorators, Two Mills painters and decorators, Raby painters and decorators, Eastham painters and decorators, Brimstage painters and decorators, Burton painters and decorators and more. Painter and Decorator Services Willaston - Willaston Internal Painting and Decorating - Willaston Paint Stripping and Refurbishing - Willaston Coving and Cornice Fitting - Willaston Painting and Decorating Quotes - Willaston External Painting and Decorating - Willaston Window and Door Painting - Willaston Room Decorators - Willaston Painting Maintenance Services - Willaston Wallpaper Stripping and Wallpapering - Willaston Painting and Decorating Services - Willaston Wallpaper Hanging - Willaston Painters and Decorators - Willaston Painter and Decorator - Willaston Domestic Painting and Decorating Around Willaston People living in these Willaston locations were recently in need of a painter and decorator: Beech Tree Close, The Paddock, Murrayfield Drive, Park Road, The Fields, Victoria Mill Drive, Greenbank Close, Bannacks Close, Gladstone Street, Ashlea Drive, Bayley Road, Moorfields, Green Lane, Cheerbrook Road, Orchard Street, Oak Bank Close, Kensington Drive, Tricketts Lane, Lomax Road, The Spinney, Newcastle Road, Shannon Close, and in these postcodes CH64 1ST, CH64 2UR, CH64 2TY, CH64 2UY, CH64 2UT, CH64 1SR, CH64 2TD, CH64 1SQ, CH64 1TQ, CH64 2TU. These areas recently saw activity by a local painter and decorator. Willaston residents benefited from dependable and high quality painting and decorating services in all cases. More Willaston Tradesmen As well as looking for a painter and decorator in Willaston, Cheshire, you may perhaps also need to track down a window fitter in Willaston, a roofer in Willaston, a scaffolder in Willaston, an electrician in Willaston, a kitchen installer in Willaston, a floorer in Willaston, a plumber in Willaston, a building contractor in Willaston, SKIP HIRE in Willaston, a plasterer in Willaston, room decorators in Willaston, a screeder in Willaston, a carpenter and joiner in Willaston, a bricklayer in Willaston, a handyman in Willaston, waste removal in Willaston. Painting and Decorating Books List of publications: Painting and Decorating Defects (John Snelling), Level 2 Diploma in Painting and Decorating (Ann Cook), Painting and Decorating (Charles H Eaton), Practical Estimating for Painters and Decorators (William P Crannell), Home Decorating Manual by Julian Cassell, Painting and Wallpapering Secrets (Brian Santos). For the best local information on Willaston, Cheshire click here Painters & Decorators Cheshire: More Cheshire painters and decorators: Wistaston, Winsford, Knutsford, Northwich, Birchwood, Haslington, Sandiway, Neston, Nantwich, Congleton, Culcheth, Alsager, Middlewich, Chester, Westbrook, Penketh, Barnton, Helsby, Thelwall, Macclesfield, Woolston, Sandbach, Frodsham, Wilmslow, Weaverham, Holmes Chapel, Ellesmere Port, Warrington, Blacon, Poynton, Hartford, Burtonwood, Lymm, Widnes, Bollington, Crewe, Willaston, Great Sankey, Runcorn, Stockton Heath, Grappenhall and Appleton Thorn. Professional Painter and Decorator in CH64 area, 0151. TOP - Painter and Decorator Willaston Domestic Painters and Decorators Willaston - Painter Decorators Willaston - Painters and Decorators Willaston - Painter and Decorator Willaston - External Painter and Decorator Willaston - Painter and Decorator Near Me - Internal Painter and Decorator Willaston - Paint Stripping Willaston - Painting and Decorating Willaston
KATHMANDU: National Planning Commission (NPC) submitted the draft of the 16th periodic plan to the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers for final approval on Sunday. The five-year periodic plan (2024/25-2029/30) has set major goals of 'Good Governance, Social Justice and Prosperity'. The periodic plan, to be implemented from the next fiscal year 2024/25, carries ambitious targets including achieving an economic growth rate of 7.3% and a per capita income of $2,413. In the current fiscal year, the projected economic growth rate of Nepal is 3.9% and the per capita income is $1,456. Furthermore, the periodic plan aims to reduce absolute poverty to 20.3%, consumer inflation to 5% by the fiscal year 2029/30, and increase Nepal's human development index to 0.650 from the current 0.601. It also aims to raise the human wealth index from 76.3 to 78 and to reduce the economic and environmental risk index from 29.7 to 24. The plan sets out to increase the average life expectancy of Nepalis to 73 years from the current 71.3 years within five years. The number of families with access to a health facility within half an hour's distance is currently 77%, and the target is to increase it to 90%. The plan also aims to raise the literacy rate to 85% and reduce the unemployment rate from 11.4% to 5%. The periodic plan aims to increase the hydropower production, which is currently around 3,100MW, to 11,769MW within five years. Similarly, it aims to ensure that 90% of the population has access to the Internet and 85% of families have access to banks and financial institutions. A goal has been set to increase the rule of law index from 0.52 to 0.80, the global competitiveness index from 52 to 65, and the corruption reduction awareness index from 35 to 43. The periodic plan includes sectoral indicators, a transformational strategy, and major interventions to achieve the set goals and targets. In the draft of the periodic plan, the target is to achieve an economic growth rate of 7% to 8.5%, up from 1.86% last year. According to the NPC, the draft has been prepared with transformational programmes along with sectoral strategies. The updated planning includes transformational strategies, major interventions, and quantitative targets. The sectoral headings include Strengthening Macroeconomic Fundamentals and Rapid Economic Growth; Enhancing Production, Productivity and Competitiveness; Decent Job and Productive Employment; Educated, Skilled and Healthy Human Capital Formation; Quality Infrastructure and Integrated Transport Management System; Modern, Sustainable and Systematic Urbanisation and Settlements; Social Empowerment, Inclusion and Mobilisation and Development and Reinforcement of Provincial and Local Economy and Expansion of Formal Sector. Likewise, Balanced Development for Reducing Poverty and Inequality and Creating an Equitable Society; Efficient Fiscal Management and Capital Expenditure Capacity Enhancement; Governance Reform and Promoting Good Governance; LDC Graduation and Beyond, and Sustainable Development Goals and Green Economy are the other sectoral themes for the 16th Periodic Plan. As targeted, the revenue-GDP ratio will be increased to 24% from the current ratio of 17.8% and the federal expenditure will be increased to 32% in ratio to GDP from 26.5% of the present. Similarly, the 16th periodic plan has targeted not to exceed the sovereign loan from 45% of the GDP while the trade deficit would be reduced to 24% in ratio to GDP from 27% of the present time. Likewise, the inflow of remittance would be maintained between 22% to 24% of the GDP. The 16th periodic plan has set some ambitious targets for increasing domestic production and productivity including establishing 140 industrial zones, establishing one more special economic zone and increasing the power production and consumption as well. As planned, electricity worth Rs 41 billion is projected to be exported annually by the end of the 16th periodic plan, with the energy sector being enhanced to reduce the overall trade deficit. The periodic plan aims to create 1.2 million jobs each year and increase the minimum wage of workers to Rs 25,000 per month, while also increasing the number of social security beneficiaries to 2 million. A plenary meeting of the NPC, which took place in early May 2023, approved the 16th plan. The draft of the 16th plan aims to uphold good governance in political, administrative, and judicial sectors, maintain social justice in health, education, and employment sectors, and achieve prosperity in social life, economic development, and the national economy. The new periodic plan has outlined a strategy to achieve good governance, social justice, and prosperity through structural transformation by identifying, addressing, and resolving structural obstacles observed in development activities. The strategy for structural transformation includes adopting the latest technology and management methods based on research and development, and producing decent, productive, and inclusive employment. It is proposed that a policy will be adopted to run a national skill development and employment programme in collaboration with private, government, and non-government sectors. Priority will be given to empowering marginalised communities and promoting inclusive employment through affirmative action. "Employment will be created within the country by producing skilled and capable human resources through the utilisation of demographic dividends at all three levels of government," reads the concept paper of the periodic plan. A strategy has been adopted to identify new destination countries with high returns, along with safe and secure work for foreign employment, and the signing of bilateral labour agreements. (With inputs from RSS)
In this blog, you will learn how to create a timeline in Google Docs and Sheets. Currently, timeline views are available in different editions of Google Workspace. By making a timeline in Google Docs and Google Sheets, you can view and access your tasks quickly and easily. Further, you can share your timeline with other staff of your organization. A timeline is an interactive visual representation of your projects or plans, which makes everyone aware of the schedules and dates associated with it. It helps you manage several parts of your project, like tasks, schedules, plans, cross-team collaborations, marketing campaigns, etc. Benefits of using timelines in your documents or spreadsheets Here are the advantages of creating a timeline for Google Docs and Sheets – - Provide a complete view of your project agenda A timeline offers a complete view of your project's details. That means it includes every task, event, and other important aspects of your project. As a result, team members are aware of when a specific task or action will be executed. So they can understand how everything will be organized and conducted harmoniously. Also, you can mention any potential risk in the timeline for more clarity. - Keep track of your project A timeline helps you to identify the progress of your project. As everyone gets insight into the project, they can know who is responsible for a task and maintain the deadline. Thus, a timeline is helpful to maintain accountability within the team. - Efficient resource management By creating a timeline, you can set deadlines for every task. Accordingly, you can manage your resources to complete those tasks. For example, you can decide how much time, money, and tools are needed to reach your goal. - Team members can access your timeline at any time Once you have created and shared a timeline in Google Docs or Google Sheets, people can access it anytime from anywhere. Thus, it helps to create continuous communication among your team members. Also, they can collaborate on the timeline if required. Creating a timeline in Google Docs Google Docs, the cloud-based application, provides easy formatting, sharing, and collaborating opportunities for users. With the flexible formatting options, you can customize your timeline by using colors, fonts, etc. Then, by sharing with others, you can enable collaboration with your team without any version control. Moreover, it has several features and tools that make it easy to create a timeline. So, let's learn how to create a timeline in Google Docs. A step-by-step guide to creating a timeline in Google Docs To make a timeline in Google Docs, you should follow these steps - - First, open a blank document in Google Docs. Click Untitled document and give a name to the document. - Now, you have to set your page orientation as the default landscape. So, go to File > Page setup - Select Pages > Landscape > Set as default > OK for timeline in Google Docs - Then, Go to Insert > Drawing > + New. - Next, click Line icon to draw a straight line. Then you can format the line by applying customized dash type, weight, start, and endpoints. - After that, click T (Text box tool). Now click a spot below or above the horizontal line. - Finally, type a task, date, or event. Also, you can resize or reposition the text box, if needed. For this, you need to drag the sides or corners of the text box. - You can copy and paste the text box to duplicate it as many times as you want to do it. (optional) Customizing your timeline in Google Docs You can customize your timeline in Google Docs by following the steps mentioned below – - Choose a color to format your timeline as per your choice. If you want to apply the same changes on multiple items simultaneously, then press and hold the CTRL key and click your target items one after another to select them. Then, you can use text color and highlight color to change the font color and highlight the text, respectively. - Now, you have to connect your task titles and their associated time points with a horizontal line. So, you have to chooseLine tool to draw the vertical lines. The vertical lines will automatically adjust and connect the task titles and time points. Finally, Save and close. - Final view of for timeline in Google Docs Collaborating on a timeline in Google Docs Google Docs allows real-time collaboration on your document, so you can easily enable collaboration for your timeline. Simply click the Share button to give the other team members access to your document. If you want to collaborate with them, then give them editing permission. So, select the Editor option from the right side of their email address. Otherwise, just permit them to be a Viewer or Commenter. In this way, you can give access permission to an individual, multiple people, or a group. When you provide editing permission for multiple people, they can collaborate simultaneously from different places. Creating a timeline in Google Sheets Like Google Docs, you can create a Google Sheets project timeline template, too. For this, you need to select a range of cells to enter your data. Then, you have to create a graphical representation of your data with Google Sheets. You will get customization and collaboration options for your Google Sheets timeline. Step-by-step guide to creating a timeline in Google Sheets Follow these steps to create Google Sheets project timeline template - - First, select a Blank sheet from the Template Gallery. - Then create a column to enter the key tasks or events for your project. - In the next column, enter the due date for each task or event. - Now create another column with position or plotting numbers. These numbers will help to connect your tasks with vertical lines through timeline graphs. - Next, select the data from the table and go to Insert > Chart. - At this step, you will find a Chart editorpane on the right side. Go to Setup > Chart Type > Column chart and click the downward arrow. - Visualization after selecting the chart type for Google Sheets project timeline template - Now, you have to format your Google Sheets project timeline template. It is beneficial to organize the tasks if they are overlapped or the entire graphics look too compact and complicated. So, just click on the chart area, select it, and then drag to adjust the height and width. - Then you can adjust the vertical axis to make your uppermost task visible. For this, you need to go to the Customize tab > Vertical axis from the Chart editor. - Here, you need to enter the value in the Min and the Max field. So, enter 0 in the Min field and enter a value in Max which is higher than your plotting points. In our case, it's 6. - After that, you can set the Major count for your Vertical axis from the Chart editor. By doing this, you can effectively organize the horizontal gridlines on your graph. You will find this option from the Gridlines and ticks. Similarly, you can set a Minor count for the Horizontal axis. It will help to clear your vertical gridlines view of your graph. Customizing your timeline in Google Sheets Moreover, you can customize your Google Sheets project timeline template with the Customize tab from the Chart editor. So, let's see which types of customization are applicable in the Google Sheets timeline. So, if you want to change the colors of your tasks, then follow these steps - - Go to the Customize > Series from the Chart editor. With the series elector, choose the task you want to change the color. - Select a new shade for that task under Color. If you want to change the title of your timeline - - Go to Customize > Chart & axis titles from Chart editor. - Type your preferred title in the Title text field. Set the desirable size, font, and color for the title. - Next, you should adjust your title section so that it doesn't look as messy. Thus you have to go to the Legend section of the Customized tab. Then, change the Position to Left, Right, or Top, etc. Collaborating on a timeline in Google Sheets You can configure collaboration for the Google Sheets project timeline template similarly as you have done for the Google Docs timeline. So, simply click the Share icon from the top right corner. Then, provide editing permission for the recipient of your timeline template for Google Sheets. Tips and best practices for creating timelines in Google Docs and Google Sheets - Always keep your timeline simple. Don't make it too messy with a huge chunk of information. - Ensure you have entered accurate values for your tasks and dates. - Try to use the same size and shape for your tasks/events. - To make your timeline more aesthetic and readable, use a contrasting color for the shapes and texts. - Ensure all the shapes and touch points are connected well. It will give a more professional look. Gain a seamless workflow automation with xFanatical Foresight The admins of Google Workspace need to handle several repetitive tasks regularly, such as - sending emails to the employees, assigning new users in an OU, sharing calendars with new members, and more. But these recurring tasks cause frustration and make the admins exhausted. But as an admin, if you choose Foresight, you will get relief from these unnecessary workloads. This workflow automation tool helps you to manage and organize your Google Workspace workflows without writing any code. Thus, it boosts your productivity, efficiency, and saves valuable time. So, learn the use cases of Foresight and employ them in your regular schedule. You can learn the use cases like Export Active Users In Google Workspace, etc. By using some simple steps, you can create timelines in Google Docs and Google Sheets. With the help of these timelines, you can manage and execute your tasks better and efficiently. As a result, it reduces the scope of communication laps within the team and makes for a more transparent and happy work culture. Also, utilize the advantages of Foresight. So, try a 14-day free trial of it. You can read more articles related to this one, such as - Customize your timeline view, etc.
How to Do Your Hair Like Jacob Sartorius Jacob Sartorius is a 14-year-old social media star who is known for his unique hair. He has a very specific hairstyle that is inspired by the singer Justin Bieber. If you want to do your hair like Jacob Sartorius, here are the steps: 1. Start by parting your hair in the middle. 2. Next, take the top section of hair on the right side of your head and pull it up towards the top of your head. 3. Secure the hair in place with a hair elastic. 4. Now, take the top section of hair on the left side of your head and pull it up towards the top of your head. 5. Secure the hair in place with a hair elastic. 6. Finally, take the hair in the back of your head and pull it up towards the top of your head. 7. Secure the hair in place with a hair elastic. 8. Now, tuck the hair in the back of your head behind the hair elastics. 9. Finally, spray your hair with hairspray to hold it in place. Table of Contents How do I cut my hair like Karl Jacobs? There is no one definitive answer to this question. But here are a few tips on how to cut your hair like Karl Jacobs. Start by finding a good haircutting guide. There are many good ones available online. Once you have a good guide, follow the steps outlined carefully. If you're not sure how to cut your hair yourself, you can always go to a hair salon to get it done. But be sure to ask the stylist to use the same style as the guide you followed. It's also a good idea to practice at home first before cutting your hair for real. This will help you get comfortable with the process and make sure you're doing it correctly. And finally, be patient. It may take a few tries before you can get your hair to look exactly like Karl Jacobs'. But with a little practice, you'll be able to achieve the perfect haircut. How do you make your hair like a Tiktoker? There are many ways to make your hair look like a Tiktoker. You can use a hair straightener to make your hair sleek and shiny, or you can use a curling iron to create loose waves. You can also use a hair dryer to add volume to your hair. If you want to add a Tiktoker-like wave to your hair, start by sectioning your hair into four parts. Take the first section and curl it away from your face. Hold the curl in place for a few seconds, and then release. Repeat this process with the other sections of your hair. If you want to add volume to your hair, start by flipping your hair over and spraying it with a volumizing hairspray. Next, use a large round brush to blow-dry your hair. Make sure to dry your hair from root to tip. You can also use a Tiktoker-inspired hairstyle to cover up a bad hair day. If your hair is feeling a little bit frizzy, try using a smoothing serum to tame the frizz. You can also use a hair mask to add some shine to your hair. How do you cut a long shaggy boys hair? There are a few different ways to go about cutting a long shaggy boys hair. One way is to cut it all the same length, and another is to leave it longer in the front and shorter in the back. To cut it all the same length, start by cutting the hair on the top of the head shorter than the hair on the sides and back. You can do this by using clippers or scissors. Then, use a razor to cut the hair on the sides and back shorter than the hair on the top of the head. To leave it longer in the front and shorter in the back, start by cutting the hair on the top of the head shorter than the hair on the sides and back. You can do this by using clippers or scissors. Then, use a razor to cut the hair on the sides and back shorter than the hair on the top of the head. Next, use scissors to cut the hair in the front longer than the hair in the back. How old is Jacobsartorius? Jacobsartorius is a young musician who has gained a lot of popularity in a short amount of time. He first came to prominence when he was featured in a music video on Vine. Jacobsartorius was born on October 2, 2002, which means that he is currently just 14 years old. Despite his young age, he has already achieved a great deal of success in the music industry. In 2015, Jacobsartorius was featured in a music video on Vine that quickly went viral. The video featured him and two other young musicians performing an original song called "The Last Text." Following the success of the Vine video, Jacobsartorius was signed to a record label and began working on his debut album. In early 2016, he released a single called " Sweatshirt" which quickly became a hit. Later that year, Jacobsartorius released his debut album titled "The Last Text." The album debuted at number 6 on the Billboard 200 chart and was praised by critics for its catchy pop songs and clever lyrics. Jacobsartorius is now in the process of working on his second album, and it is expected to be released sometime in 2018. Despite his young age, Jacobsartorius has already achieved a great deal of success in the music industry. He is an incredibly talented musician and his songs are sure to appeal to a wide range of listeners. Why did Jacob cut his hair? Jacob is the son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, and one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites. The Hebrew Bible states that he was given the name Jacob (יעקב) because he wrestled with an angel and prevailed. According to the biblical story, Jacob was originally going to be named Esau, but his mother Rebekah convinced her husband Isaac to give Jacob the birthright instead. Jacob was the father of the twelve Tribes of Israel. Toward the end of his life, he was given a vision of a ladder reaching up to heaven, with angels ascending and descending. He renounced his birthright and named the place where he saw the vision Bethel, meaning the house of God. In the biblical story, Jacob is portrayed as a patriarch with a complicated personality. He was a trickster, and was often in conflict with his brothers. He also had a complicated relationship with his father, Isaac. One of the most famous episodes in the biblical story of Jacob is when he cuts his hair. In the story, Jacob is fleeing from his brother Esau, who is angry at him for stealing his birthright. Jacob goes to his mother's brother Laban and asks him to help him escape. Laban agrees to help Jacob, but tells him that he has to stay with him for a week. Jacob is not happy with this, and decides to cut his hair so that he will look like a servant. When Laban sees Jacob, he is not happy with the way he looks and tells him to go away. There are several interpretations of why Jacob cut his hair. One interpretation is that he did it so that he would not be recognized by his brother Esau. Another interpretation is that he did it to show that he was no longer the son of Isaac, but the servant of Laban. The most common interpretation is that Jacob cut his hair so that he would look like a servant, and that he did it because he was afraid of his brother Esau. Jacob was not confident that Laban would be able to protect him from Esau, and he wanted to make sure that he would not be recognized. What is a fluffy hair? Fluffy hair is a type of hair that is full and voluminous. The individual strands of hair are thin and airy, which gives the hair a fluffy appearance. This type of hair is often seen in people with curly hair, as the curls create more volume. However, it is possible to have straight hair with a fluffy texture. There are a few things that you can do to help your hair look fuller and more fluffy. First, use a volumizing shampoo and conditioner. These products are designed to add body and volume to your hair. You can also use a hair dryer with a diffuser to help your hair retain its natural shape. If you have curly hair, you may want to try a curl-defining product. This will help to define your curls and add more volume. You can also use a curling iron to create more curl. Finally, be sure to use a styling product to help keep your hair in place. A good finishing product will help to prevent your hair from falling flat throughout the day. What is eBoy hair? eBoy hair is a type of hair that is made out of a synthetic fiber. It is made to look like natural hair, and it comes in a variety of colors and styles. eBoy hair is made to be heat-resistant, so it can be styled with thermal tools. It is also made to be tangle-free, which makes it easy to style and maintain.
GENERAL – Physical and mental fitness, Stress relief, Tummy reduction, etc. OLD AGE – Parkinsonism, Alzheimer's, Senile dementia, Joint problems, Respiratory problems, etc. GENTS AND LADIES – Hormonal irregularities, Genitourinary complaints, Thyroid, Cholesterol, Diabetes etc. KIDS – To increase memory, Concentration, Emotional balance, Physical fitness and Immunity through fun and enjoyment. - Physical fitness - Personality development - Concentration improves - Stillness of mind is achieved - Equanimity – Samachithatha - Elimination of anxiety, stress & fear - Reduce tension and improves sleep - Enhances self confidence & self esteem - Improves the physical and mental energy, - Removes lethargy and Laziness by removing the energy block We are running a branch of Patanjali Yoga Samithi affiliated to Patanjali YogPeeth (Trust) Haridwar, India. Yoga is the physical, mental spiritual practices or disciplines that aim to transform body and mind. It aims at promoting health and keeping body in optimum condition by bringing perfect co-ordination of different bodily functions, physical and mental cleansing and strengthening. Medical Importance Body and Mind are under electrical as well as chemical control. Electrical control through nervous system and chemical control through endocrine system – Hormones. All yoga practices helps the deranged nervous and endocrine system into perfect co- ordination, so that they work for the good of whole body. Q. Why Do We Live? We choose to be born and hence have to live. Life poses lot of challenges before us which makes us wither but we can live fully and happily by incorporating certain changes in our life. Q. How To Live ? – Requirements For A Happy And Contented Life 1.Healthy Body 2. Sound Mind 3.Social well being 4. Spiritual Awareness Q. How to attain this state of health? 1.Proper Exercise 2. Proper Breathing 3. Proper Diet 4. Proper Thinking Best time of day is early morning Sit in any comfortable position with straight Vertebral column Stomach should be empty Preferably after bath The term 'YOGA' is derived from the literal meaning of "yoking together" a span of horses or oxes, but came to be applied to the "yoking" of mind and body. Originated around 3000 BC or more than that and is developed as a part of the TANTRIC civilization which existed in India. The first book to refer yoga were ancient TANTRAS and later the Sacred VEDAS. SAGE PATANJALI – Father of modern yoga lived around 400 BC – 200 AD codified the first definitive, unified and comprehensive system of yoga. Ancient time yoga techniques were kept as a secret and were passed on from teacher to disciple by word of mouth. In this way there was a clear understanding of their meaning and aim removing any misunderstanding. Baba Ramdev – Founder of Patanjali Yogpeeth – is the now popular Yogi in India as well as abroad. Patanjali Institutions under University of Patanjali are the world renowned institutions for Medical Science and Research in yoga and Ayurveda. Basic yoga includes (1)YOGASANAS : Physical postures (2) PRANAYAMA : Breathing exercises (3) YOGA NIDRA : Deep relaxation 1. YAMA→ • Ahimsa • Sathyam • Aastheyam • Aparigrahyam • Brahmacharyam 2. NIYAMA → • Soucham • Santhosham • Thapas • Swadhiayam • Eeswarapranidhana 3. YOGASANA → Different Body Postures – • Stretching • Relaxation • Contraction 4. PRANAYAMA → Pranayama are a set of breathing exercises helping to upkeep the health of the lungs, to increase general vitality of the body and immunity and to increase the longevity. Pranayamas are • Anulomaviloma • Nadishudhi • Kapalbhadi • Brahmari • Seethali 5. PRATHYAHARA → is internalizing the out flowing awareness into the opposite direction or in other words withdrawal of the mind from the senses. - Ajapa japam • Yoga Nidra • Thratakam • Anthar mounam (Inner silence) 6. DHARANA→ Dharana is to hold or bind the mind at one point by internalizing the awareness. The senses ultimately follow the mind contrary to the usual course. Pratice of Dharana → • Sambhavi Mudra • Bhrumadhya Dhyanam • Nasal tip gazing • Thratakam 7. DHYANA(Meditative state)→ is attained when one is established in psychic awarenes . - Prathyahara dhyanam • Dharana dhyanam • Dhyanam ( Samyamam – perfect control over senses) 8. SAMADHI →Meditation or dhyana leads to samadhi - Samadhi is a state where object appears without the consciousness of one's own self - Total absorption to the extent that the external world no longer exist - Self realization-self identification-non distinction (knowing BRAHMAN from sacred book VEDA) A.PANCHA KOSHAM which constitute the following Physical body is made up of annam hence known as annamaya kosham.its called as sthoola sareera or physical body Annam is made up of Pancha Bhuthas - Akasham – Sabdam – Ear - Vayu – Sparsham -Touch - Agni – Roopam – Image - Jalam – Rasam – Tongue - Prithvi – Gandham – Nose Energy body/Bio-Plasmic body/Energy Network - Mooladhara chakra - Swadhishtana chakra - Manipooraka chakra - Anahatha chakra - Vsudhi chakra - Ajna chakra PRANA → The energy with inherent intelligence and ability to move 5 Pranas are • Pranan • Apanan • Samanan • Vyanan • Udanan Upa Pranas are - Naga – Belching - Koorma – Blinking and opening of eyes - Krikara – Hunger, Thirst, Sneezing and Coughing - Devadatha – Sleep and Yawning - Dhananjaya – De-composition of the body after death 3. MANOMAYA KOSHAM → Mind – Logical Thinking 4. VIJNAYAMAYA KOSHAM→ BhudhI – Intellect – Intuition Pranamaya kosha, Manomaya kosha and Vijnananmaya kosha are collectively called Sookshma sareera or Astral body Manomaya kosha and Vijnananmaya kosha which constitute the 'ANTHAKARANA' which has 4 aspects namely - Bhudhi – Intellect - Manas – Analytical mind - Chitham – Subconscious mind - Ahankaram – Ego 5.ANANTHAMAYA KOSHAM → Causal body or Karana sareera, experience of bliss. Feeling of intense and powerful happiness, anandam – fusion of individual mind with cosmic mind. Yogasanas helps the physical body (Annamaya kosha) mainly and Pranayamas helps the Astral body (Sookshma shareera) mainly. Both yogasanas and pranayama have no reach to causal body ( Karana sareera). Only sound waveshave the reach to the above. The individual personality trait or the personality is inculcated in the causal body. So "Manthra's" are sounds arranged in such a way that they have an impact on causal body (karana sareera). - 'Mananaath' – Bondage of mind - 'Thrayathe' – Freed or liberated - 'Iti'- Through - 'Mantra' – Force of vibration Q. How Mantra Acts? - Activation of Chakras by vibration of sound. - Action on the Andamaya kosa –results in personality change – Sanchita karma, Prarambdha karma-changes in the DNA (Deepak Chopra-Quantum Healing). - Aadhi janya roga and Anaadhijanya roga – Curability and Management. Few different methods of chanting - Vaikhari – Volume of sound audible to the seventh man in a row - Upamsu – In a murmuring not audible to the person sitting by the side - Manasi – Mental chanting – More powerful
Special Tips For Pet Owners CategoriesRug Ideas Do you have a pet? Join the crowd. About 70 million US households have pets – and that number represents a 35 percent increase from 1988, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. Dogs especially have urine retention problems when they're puppies, elderly or sick. For puppies, packs of 100 temporary absorbent pads can be purchased from pet supply stores. These work better than newspaper, so spread them around on the spots where your puppy tends to gravitate. When Fluffy makes a mess, throw the pad out. Sometimes when a new dog is introduced into a home where another dog has been, they will mark spots in the house in the same way they mark territory in the neighborhood. Cats also mark territory inside the house. You can combat pet odors and stains in many ways: -Check out the CRI Seal of Approval products that are specifically designed for pet stains and odors. -Vacuum more frequently to capture pet hair and dust drifting from Fluffy's fur. -Have your carpet professionally cleaned every 12 to 18 months, or more frequently. When dealing with urine spots, don't use a steam cleaner, because the heat will set the stain and the smell. Carpet cleaning firms like Rug Ideas know how to permanently remove pet stains and odor, where possible. If you have caged pets, check pet-supply stores for scent-killing products (mineral or earthen products sold in bags), which you place near their cages. Plain old baking soda or clove oil on a cotton ball may mask the stench. If fleas should become a problem, keep in mind that your carpet is probably harboring eggs – keep up a regular vacuuming schedule! Check with your veterinarian for treatment options as well as tips for getting fleas out of the household environment. *sourced from 'Carpet Cleaning Tips for Dummies' by Elizabeth B. Goldsmith Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay) Certified Rug Specialist (CRS) Tel. 310-770-9085 This stuff is down to earth, hats off buds out there.braided area rugs
The frequency of infills for acrylic nails depends on several factors, including the rate of your natural nail growth, how well you care for your nails, and the quality of the initial application. Typically, acrylic nail infills are recommended every 2-3 weeks as your natural nails grow out. However, there isn't a strict limit on how many times you can have infills, as long as your natural nails are healthy and there is enough space to fill in without causing excessive stress or damage. Continuously applying infills without giving your nails a break or proper maintenance could weaken them over time. It's essential to allow your nails to breathe occasionally by having breaks between applications, during which you can care for and strengthen your natural nails. Regularly consulting with a professional nail technician is advisable, as they can assess the condition of your nails and provide personalized advice on the frequency of infills and proper nail care to maintain healthy nails. How do various factors affect acrylic nail infill frequency? Regular maintenance and observation of your nails' condition can help determine the ideal frequency for infills. It's often recommended to visit a nail technician every 2-3 weeks for infills, but individual needs may vary based on the factors mentioned above. Natural Nail Growth The rate at which your natural nails grow affects how often infills are required. Typically, nails grow around 1/8 inch per month, so individuals with faster nail growth may need infills more frequently. Lifestyle and Activities Certain activities or professions may cause more wear and tear on acrylic nails, leading to faster lifting or breakage. People who frequently use their hands for tasks such as typing, playing sports, or manual labor might need more frequent infills. Nail Care Routine Proper nail care and maintenance can extend the lifespan of acrylic nails. Using cuticle oil regularly, avoiding harsh chemicals, and being gentle with your nails can help preserve the acrylics, reducing the frequency of infills. Quality of Initial Application Well-applied acrylic nails tend to last longer. If the initial application is done professionally and with high-quality products, the nails are less likely to lift or break, resulting in longer intervals between infills. Nail Filing and Maintenance Over-filing or excessive shaping during maintenance can weaken the acrylics, leading to quicker need for infills. Proper filing techniques and avoiding excessive filing can help prolong the time between infills. Health and Hormonal Changes Changes in hormonal levels, certain medications, or health conditions might affect nail growth rates, potentially impacting how frequently infills are required. Seasonal Changes Nails might grow at different rates during various seasons. For some individuals, nails may grow faster in warmer months compared to colder ones, potentially affecting the frequency of infills. Nail Technician Skills The expertise and techniques used by the nail technician during infills can impact how long the acrylics last. A skilled technician may apply the product in a way that ensures durability and longevity. Proper Aftercare Following the recommended aftercare instructions provided by the nail technician can significantly affect the longevity of acrylic nails. This includes avoiding excessive exposure to water, using gloves for household chores, and being mindful of activities that can stress the nails. What is the ideal time frame for acrylic nail infills? The ideal time frame for acrylic nail infills typically ranges between 2 to 3 weeks. However, this timeframe can vary depending on individual factors such as: - Natural Nail Growth Rate: If your natural nails grow faster, you may need infills more frequently, possibly closer to the 2-week mark. - Lifestyle and Activities: Engaging in activities that put more stress on your nails, such as typing, manual labor, or sports, may require more frequent infills. - Nail Care Routine: Proper nail care, including using cuticle oil, avoiding harsh chemicals, and being gentle with your nails, can help extend the time between infills. - Quality of Initial Application: Well-applied acrylic nails tend to last longer. A high-quality initial application can contribute to longer intervals between infills. - Aftercare Practices: Following recommended aftercare practices provided by your nail technician can prolong the lifespan of your acrylic nails, affecting how often infills are needed. Visiting a professional nail technician regularly (usually every 2-3 weeks) for infills allows for maintenance, repair of any lifting or damage, and reshaping, ensuring that your acrylic nails look their best and remain intact. However, individual preferences and lifestyles can influence the exact frequency, so it's essential to assess your nails' condition and consult with your nail technician for personalized advice. How can excessive infills impact acrylic nail health? Excessive infills can potentially impact the health and condition of acrylic nails in several ways. Firstly, frequent filing during infills can gradually thin the natural nails beneath the acrylics, making them weaker and more susceptible to breakage. Secondly, the repeated application and removal process of acrylic material can weaken the overall structure of the nails, increasing the risk of lifting, cracking, or breakage. Moreover, continuous infills without allowing proper time for natural nail growth or addressing any previous issues, such as lifting, can lead to persistent problems and potential infections due to moisture and bacteria entering the gaps. Aggressive filing during frequent infills might damage the nail bed or cuticles, resulting in soreness, irritation, or even infections in the surrounding skin. Lastly, overfilling or excessive infills may hinder proper adhesion, causing premature detachment or lifting of the acrylics, reducing their overall longevity. To maintain healthy acrylic nails, it's crucial to balance infill sessions, allowing adequate time for healthy nail growth, minimizing over-filing, and following proper aftercare instructions provided by a qualified nail technician. Can you just keep getting acrylic infills? Acrylic infills can be repeatedly done, but excessive infills may weaken nails and cause lifting or damage over time. Do Infills damage nails? Excessive infills involving aggressive filing can potentially thin and weaken natural nails, leading to damage. When should I stop getting acrylic fills? It's advisable to stop getting acrylic fills if your natural nails become too weak or damaged, or if there's persistent lifting or discomfort. How many times should you get infills before a new set? Typically, you can get 2 to 3 infills before considering a new set, but it depends on the condition and health of your natural nails. How many times should you get Infills before getting a new set? Generally, after 2 to 3 infills, it's recommended to consider a new set to maintain healthy nails and prevent excessive damage. Can you change nail color when getting infills? Yes, you can change nail color during infills by applying a different color or design on the existing acrylic nails. Final Words In conclusion, taking care of acrylic nails involves balancing regular maintenance with mindful consideration for your natural nail health. It's important to follow recommended infill schedules, usually every 2-3 weeks, to keep your nails looking their best. However, excessive infills can weaken nails and increase the risk of damage or infections. It's crucial to allow breaks between infills for nail recovery and follow proper care routines. Seeking advice from a professional nail technician is key for maintaining healthy and beautiful acrylic nails in the long run.
Intercollege Programs Advising – Academic advisors and coaches can be found to assist college students with many academic topics. Depending upon the coed's academic standing, an advisor in Academic Support Programs or a school advisor will be assigned. The advisor can help pupil with advance registration, diploma progress checks, educational planning, course and major selection, career and internship exploration, tutorial coaching, success expertise and finding and using campus assets. They can also assist college students transition to varsity by sharing appropriate campus resources. Certificate packages doc expertise in an space past a significant or minor. Information on requirements for certificate programs is out there from the advisor of the department offering the certificates. Science Schooling In 2019, 32 Science Education students graduated with college students incomes 32 Master's degrees. In 2019, 29 Science Education college students graduated with students earning 15 Certificates, eleven Master's degrees, and 3 Bachelor's degrees. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, 4-year college in a large suburb. At least one subject and/or instructing internship and dissertation are additionally required. See the earlier part on graduate programs within the College of Education. William Paterson University's College of Science and Health supplies outstanding undergraduate and graduate programs and state-of-the-artwork services that place the University on the forefront of science education in New Jersey. El Instituto is an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary program that advances the analysis and undergraduate and graduate instructing of Latina/o, Caribbean, Puerto Rican, and Latin American Studies. Sport Management includes any combination of skills related to … Read More
In the past few decades, social media has revolutionized the way we connect, communicate, and share information. It has transformed the dynamics of human interaction, offering unprecedented opportunities for self-expression, networking, and community building. However, alongside its many benefits, the rise of social media has also given rise to a concerning phenomenon known as social media addiction. The History of Social Media The roots of social media can be traced back to the early days of the internet. Online communities, such as Usenet and bulletin board systems, provided platforms for people to share messages and connect with others who shared similar interests. However, it was not until the late 1990s and early 2000s that social media truly began to take shape. The emergence of platforms like SixDegrees.com, Friendster, and MySpace marked the beginning of a new era in social media. These platforms allowed users to create personal profiles, connect with friends, and share content. However, they were relatively limited in terms of functionality and user experience. The real turning point came with the launch of Facebook in 2004. Facebook introduced a more streamlined and user-friendly interface, attracting a massive user base and revolutionizing the concept of social networking. Subsequently, other platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and LinkedIn emerged, each catering to different aspects of social interaction and content sharing. With the rise of smartphones and easy access to social networking platforms, people are spending increasing amounts of time on their phones, often with little to no productivity. This addictive behavior can have detrimental effects on mental health, relationships, and overall well-being. However, there are effective ways to tackle social media addiction and regain control over our digital lives. In this article, we will explore the issue of social media addiction in detail and provide practical examples of how to overcome this modern-day challenge. Understanding Social Media Addiction Social media addiction refers to the excessive and compulsive use of social networking platforms, leading to negative consequences in various aspects of life. It is characterized by a persistent need to check notifications, constantly seek validation through likes and comments, and an inability to regulate one's online behavior. One of the primary causes is the inherent design of social media platforms. Developers employ persuasive techniques, such as infinite scrolling, notifications, and personalized content algorithms, to keep users engaged for longer periods. The constant stream of new information and the fear of missing out (FOMO) can create a compulsive need to stay connected. Moreover, social media offers a platform for social validation and self-affirmation. The number of likes, shares, and comments on posts can become a measure of one's social status and self-worth. This validation-seeking behavior can lead to excessive use, as individuals seek constant validation and approval from their online connections. Negative Effects of Social Media Addiction: Impaired Productivity: Spending excessive time on social media can significantly impact productivity, as it distracts individuals from focusing on tasks and responsibilities. Hours wasted scrolling through feeds and engaging in mindless browsing can hinder personal and professional growth. Mental Health Issues: Social media addiction has been linked to various mental health problems, including increased levels of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. The constant comparison to others' seemingly perfect lives portrayed on social media can lead to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. Damaged Relationships: Spending excessive time on social media can strain real-life relationships. Neglecting face-to-face interactions in favor of digital connections can lead to a lack of emotional intimacy and meaningful connections with friends, family, and colleagues. Sleep Disturbances: The blue light emitted by screens and the constant engagement with social media can disrupt sleep patterns. Late-night scrolling and the compulsion to check notifications can contribute to insomnia and poor sleep quality. Ways to Tackle Social Media Addiction: Set Clear Boundaries: Establish specific time limits for social media usage and stick to them. Use apps or built-in features on your phone to track and limit screen time. Allocate specific periods each day for social media engagement and ensure that the rest of your time is dedicated to more productive activities. Practice Digital Detox: Take regular breaks from social media by implementing digital detox periods. Consider designating certain days or weekends as "device-free" time, where you disconnect from social media and engage in offline activities that bring you joy, such as hobbies, exercise, or spending time with loved ones. Identify Triggers and Replace Habits: Pay attention to the situations or emotions that trigger excessive social media use. Once identified, find healthier alternatives or habits to replace the urge to reach for your phone. For example, if boredom triggers social media use, you can replace it with reading a book, practicing mindfulness, or engaging in a creative activity. Curate Your Social Media Feed: Be mindful of the content you consume on social media. Unfollow accounts that make you feel inadequate or unhappy. Instead, follow accounts that inspire and uplift you. Curating a positive and supportive social media environment can significantly improve your overall well-being. Seek Support: If you find it challenging to overcome social media addiction on your own, consider seeking support from friends, family, or professionals. Joining support groups or therapy sessions can provide valuable insights, guidance, and accountability in your journey toward recovery.
Using effective rat traps for homeowners can control rat populations, prevent damage to their property, and ensure peace of mind, knowing they are taking proactive steps to protect their home and family. Read more about Why Do We Need Effective Rat Traps For Homeowners A buyer's guide for rat traps can assist homeowners in selecting the right traps for their specific needs, providing information on different types of traps, their effectiveness, ease of use, safety considerations, and other factors to consider before purchasing. A buyer's guide empowers homeowners to make informed decisions and effectively address rat infestations. More Things To Know About Why Do We Need Effective Rat Traps For Homeowners Understanding the Need for Rat Traps Maintaining effective rat control in your home requires understanding the need for rat traps. These pests can contaminate food, spread diseases, and gnaw on electrical wires, leading to potential fire hazards. Implement proper rodent control measures. Best rat traps are an essential tool in this process. They're designed to capture and eliminate rats, effectively reducing their population in your home. Using rat traps, you can quickly address an infestation and minimize the risks associated with these pests. Remember to place the traps where rats are commonly found, such as attics, basements, and crawl spaces. Health Risks Posed by Rats Rats are known carriers of dangerous diseases such as Hantavirus, Leptospirosis, and Salmonellosis. These diseases can be transmitted to humans through rat droppings, urine, or saliva. Rats can contaminate food and surfaces with bacteria, posing a risk of food poisoning. Allergies and asthma can also be triggered by rat dander and feces. A rat trap can eliminate these health risks and protect yourself and your family. Taking proactive measures to control rodent infestations is for maintaining a safe and healthy home environment. Damage Caused by Rats Rats are destructive and can wreak havoc on your home and belongings. They tend to gnaw on electrical wires, causing potential short circuits and fires. Rats can contaminate food sources with their droppings and urine, posing serious health risks to you and your family. They can also damage insulation, furniture, and walls by burrowing and chewing through them. Investing in reliable rat traps is highly recommended to get rid of rodents and prevent further damage. Snap Traps Snap traps, also known as traditional or rat snaps, are widely used due to their simplicity and proven results. These traps consist of a wooden base with a metal bar that snaps shut when triggered by the rat. The quick and forceful action of the trap ensures a swift and humane kill. Snap traps are highly effective in catching rats, as they target their instincts, such as curiosity and the urge to go to new spaces. Traditional snap traps can efficiently eliminate rat infestations in your home when strategically along rat pathways or near food sources. Live Catch Traps To choose the best rat trap for your home, consider the advantages of live catch traps. Live catch traps, also known as humane traps, are designed to capture rodents without causing them harm. These traps work by enticing the rats with bait and safely confining them until they can return to the wild. Unlike snap traps, which can kill rodents, live catch traps provide a more humane approach to dealing with pest problems. They're also a great option if you're concerned about the welfare of the animals. Electronic Traps An electronic trap is designed to kill rats quickly and efficiently, making it a popular choice among homeowners. One well-known brand is the Victor rat trap, known for its effectiveness in eliminating rats. These traps lure rats with bait and deliver a high-voltage electric shock, instantly killing the rodent. Electronic traps are convenient and easy to use, requiring minimal effort. Simply set up the trap, bait it, and wait for it to do its job. Glue Traps Glue traps are one of the most commonly used methods for capturing rats and mice. These traps consist of a sticky surface that immobilizes the rodents upon contact. The adhesive used in glue traps is extremely strong, making it difficult for the rats to escape once caught. This makes glue traps effective for capturing and controlling rat populations in your home. Glue traps are easy to use and require no bait or poison, making them a safe option for households with pets and children. Factors to Consider When Buying Rat Traps Prioritize safety to ensure the trap isn't harmful to children or pets. You also want to choose a trap that's effective in catching rats and preventing their escape. Consider the ease of use, cost, and size of the rat population you're dealing with. Consider the safety features of rat traps before making a purchase decision. Safety should be a top priority for homeowners when choosing a rat trap. Look for traps designed to minimize the risk of injury to humans and pets. Some traps have a protective cover or enclosure that prevents accidental contact with the captured rat. Others have a quick-release mechanism that allows for safe and easy disposal. It's also important to choose durable traps to ensure they can withstand repeated use without breaking or malfunctioning. Consider non-toxic traps that don't use harmful chemicals, as this can pose a risk to the health of your family and pets. To ensure you have trapped rats, prioritize the trap's features and functionality. When buying a rat trap, several factors regarding effectiveness must be considered. Look for a trap that's specifically designed for rats. Rat traps are designed to be larger and stronger than those for smaller rodents like mice. This ensures that the trap is capable of effectively catching and containing rats. Ease of Use To ensure a hassle-free trapping process, prioritize ease of use when selecting a rat trap. The last thing you want is to need help with complicated mechanisms or difficult setup instructions. Regarding ease of use, three types of rat traps stand out: snap, electronic, and glue traps. Your budget determines the type of rat traps you can afford. Different options are available at price points. Consider how much you're willing to spend. The cost of rat traps can be influenced by factors such as the trap's material, size, and effectiveness. While some traps may be more expensive upfront, they could be more cost-effective if they're durable and reusable in the long run. Cheaper traps may require frequent replacement, increasing the cost. Size of Rat Population The size of your rat population will ultimately determine the number and type of traps you'll need. A few strategically placed traps may be sufficient for a small rat population. If you have a larger infestation, you may need to invest in multiple traps or consider using more powerful options such as electronic traps or glue boards. You should consider the size of the rats themselves. Larger rats may require traps with bigger openings or stronger mechanisms. How to Use Rat Traps Effectively Use bait appealing to rats, such as peanut butter or dried fruit, to attract them to the trap. Regularly check the traps and remove any captured rats to prevent the spread of disease and ensure the traps remain effective. Proper Placement of Rat Traps Start by identifying areas where rats will likely be active, such as near food sources, dark corners, or along walls and baseboards. Place the rat trap perpendicular to the wall, with the bait end facing the wall. This forces the rat to approach the trap from the correct angle, increasing the chances of capture. Avoid placing traps in high-traffic areas where children and pets can easily access them. Baiting Techniques Place bait strategically to attract rats and increase the likelihood of capture using rat traps effectively. One effective technique is to use a bait cup attached to the trap. This way, you can securely position the bait and prevent the rats from easily stealing it without triggering the trap. Remember to check the trap regularly and dispose of dead rat promptly to prevent odors and potential health hazards. Always exercise caution to avoid electrical shock when handling electronic traps. Inadequate Number of Traps One common mistake homeowners make when dealing with a rat infestation is using an inadequate number of traps. You must set out several rat traps to control the population effectively. Rats are prolific breeders, and a few traps won't be able to keep up with their reproductive rate. Place multiple traps throughout your home where you have noticed dead rat or signs of their presence. Ensuring you have enough live traps increases your chances of catching the rodents and minimizing their population. Poor Bait Choices Avoid using strong-smelling cheeses, as rats aren't as attracted to them as commonly believed. Using too large and difficult to remove bait from the rat trap can be problematic. Rats are more likely to steal the bait without triggering the trap. Instead, opt for small, easily accessible bait that rats must enter the trap to consume fully. Natural Predators Consider attracting natural predators as an alternative to using mouse trap in your home. Natural predators, such as cats, dogs, and birds of prey, can effectively control rat populations. Cats are known for their hunting instincts and can provide a natural and efficient solution to your rat problem. Dogs can be trained to sniff and chase large rats, keeping them at bay. Birds of prey, like owls and hawks, are natural predators of rodents and can help control the rat population in your area. Attracting these natural predators creates a more sustainable and eco-friendly approach to rat control. Natural repellents like peppermint oil or garlic can help deter rats from entering your home. Rat Poisons Rat poisons are chemical substances designed to kill rats when ingested. They can be an effective solution for homeowners looking for a more hands-off approach to rat control. Rat poisons work by enticing rats to consume the toxic bait, which then leads to their demise. These poisons are typically formulated with powerful active ingredients that target the rats' nervous system, causing them to die. Rat poisons should be used cautiously, as they can also pose risks to pets and children if not properly handled or placed. Homeowners are to carefully follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer when using rat poison. Professional Pest Control Services Professional pest control services are trained and equipped to handle rat infestations and can offer methods to eliminate rodents from your home. They have the expertise to assess the extent of the problem and determine the most appropriate course of action. Their services may include trapping and removal, using bait stations, or implementing exclusion techniques to seal off entry points. Relying on professional pest control services ensures the issue is addressed effectively and efficiently. They'll also advise preventing future rodent activity, helping you maintain a rat-free home. Regular Home Inspections Perform regular home inspections to keep rats from infesting your property. Regular inspections are for preventing rat infestations as they allow you to identify and address potential issues before they escalate. Pay attention to any entry points around your home, such as cracks in the foundation or gaps in windows and doors, as rats can squeeze through small openings. Inspect your attic, basement, and crawl spaces, as these are common rodent hiding spots. Check your hardwood floors and furniture for any signs of damage, as rats may also chew on these surfaces. Proper Food Storage One of the main attractions for rodents like rats is easily accessible food sources. To minimize the risk of infestation, store pet food securely. Rats are drawn to the smell of pet food and can easily chew through bags or containers to get to it. Store pet food in airtight containers that rats can't penetrate. Promptly clean up any spilled food or crumbs, as these can attract rodents. Keep your kitchen tidy and ensure all food is stored in sealed containers. These simple steps can significantly reduce the risk of a rat infestation in your home. Sealing Entry Points Blocking their access points is one of the most effective ways to keep rats out of your home. Inspect your home thoroughly and identify any openings or gaps that rats can use to enter. Common entry points include gaps in windows, doors, vents, and pipes. Seal these openings using steel wool, caulk, or metal mesh. Pay attention to small cracks and holes, as rats can squeeze through tiny openings. Regular Cleaning and Maintenance Regularly clean your living spaces to maintain a rat-free home and eliminate potential attractants and hiding spots. Cleaning plays a role in preventing rat infestations. Make sure to keep your home clean and tidy, especially in areas where food is stored or prepared. Wipe down countertops, sweep and mop floors, and regularly empty garbage cans to remove any food residue that could attract rats. Properly maintain your home by fixing any leaks or plumbing issues that could provide rats with a water source. Inspect and clean basements, attics, and crawl spaces to remove clutter and potential nesting materials. Frequently Asked Questions Are Rat Traps Safe to Use Around Children and Pets? Top rat traps can be safe for children and pets if you choose the right type. Look for traps with child and pet-safe features like enclosed bait stations or snap traps with protectors. How Often Do Rat Traps Need to Be Checked and Reset? Check and reset mouse traps regularly to ensure their effectiveness. This helps to catch rats promptly and prevent them from causing further damage or spreading diseases in your home. Can Rat Traps Be Used Outdoors as Well as Indoors? Yes, rat traps can be used outdoors as well as indoors. They are effective in both settings. Just place them in areas where rats are likely to be present. How Long Does It Typically Take for Rat Traps to Eliminate a Rat Infestation Effectively? It typically takes a few days to weeks for rat traps to eliminate a rat infestation effectively. The time it takes can vary depending on the infestation's severity and the traps' effectiveness.
en - us <h2>Review</h2> <p>Humanity has destroyed 70% of the land by arable land, reservoirs, asphalt, concrete, garbage and ore landfills.</p> <h2>Abstract</h2> <p>Industrial control systems (ICS) are critical, as in these systems, cyber threats have the potential to affect, disorganize, change their mode of operation, act as an information extraction vehicle, and ultimately turn against itself. Creating risks to the system itself, infrastructure, downtime, leakage of sensitive data, and even loss of human life. Industrial control systems (ICS) are vital to the operation of all the modern automated infrastructure in the western world, such as power plant and power stations. Industrial control systems (ICS) differ from the traditional information systems and infrastructures of organizations and companies, a standard cyber security strategy cannot be implemented but part of it adapting to the real facts and needs of each country, legislation and infrastructure. These systems require continuous operation, reliability and rapid recovery when attacked electronically with automated control, isolation and attack management processes. Incorrect settings and lack of strategic planning can lead to unprotected operation of critical installations, as they do not meet the cyber security requirements. Industrial control systems (ICS) require special protection in their networks, as they should be considered vulnerable in all their areas, they need protection from cyber attacks against ICS, SCADA servers, workstations, PLC automations, etc. Security policies to be implemented should provide protection against cyber threats, and systems recovery without affecting the operation and reliability of operating processes. Security policies such as security assessment, smart reporting, vulnerability and threat simulation, integrity control analysis, apply security policy to shared systems, intrusion detection and prevention, and finally firewall with integrated antivirus and sandbox services should be considered essential entities.</p> mineralformation影响土壤结构的恢复nakhchivan AR和地理传播的合法性 <h2>Abstract</h2> <p>The silt fractions have a great impact in soil structural formation. If the soil forming rocks don't disturb, crush and weather, the soil forming processes on them occur weakly, the organic substances cause formation of the loamy stratums without completely turning. This mostly influences the initial soil forming layers. The reproduction minerals in these soils cause initial minerals majority by occurring weakly. If these processes occur quickly then they cause a gradual increase of the reproduction minerals and reduction of the initial minerals.</p> <p>The heights of the zones where the geographical spreading of such stratums is situated depend on levels.</p> <p>For the operational forecasting of the dynamics of moisture reserves, it is reduced to the prediction of precipitation and total evaporation (E). The remaining elements of the balance either do not change over time, are either known or are defined as functions of P and E.</p> <h2>Annotation</h2> <p>Erosion has become widespread in the local climatic conditions of Azerbaijan. From this point of view, different types of erosion (washing, erosion, deflation, etc.) can often be found in many soil types formed in the territory of the republic. It should be taken into account that as a result of erosion, the top fertile layer of the soil is washed away and as a result, the soil is deprived of the humus layer. In the presented article, the effect of relief elements on the erosion processes occurring in the lands of Gadabay region was studied on the basis of GIS technologies.</p> <h2>Abstract</h2> <p>Lemongrass is a culinary herb with a lemony aroma.it is mostly cultivated in Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and India. It is conventionally used for relieving anxiety, stress and pain. Because of the presence of limonene and citral, lemongrass extracts exhibits antimicrobial, antidandruff and anti-inflammatory effects. However Tea tree extracts are mostly employed in the treatment of dermal, inflammatory and microbial infections.</p> <h2>Abstract</h2> <p>Environmental impact of a recent oil spill incident in Bonny terminal using soil media was studied using a risk-based modeling approach. The establishment of the presence of contaminants of concern (CoC), evaluation/assessment, modeling spilled volume and ascertaining potential health risk associated with the spill incident was carried out. The Contaminant of Concern (CoC) included Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). Soils and groundwater were sampled in the vicinity of the spill incident and further away into the surrounding communities. Soils were sampled into the depths (0.1 m, 0.5 m,1.0 m, 1.5 m), and the results of sieve analysis revealed that the area is predominantly silty sand in composition. This study also revealed that TPH concentration at all locations and depths exceeded DPR target value of 50 mg/kg. The TPH model revealed that a total volume of 222,500m3 of the spill area exceeded DPR intervention value of 5000 mg/kg. The results of PAH showed that only BS-1, BS-6, BS-8, BS-9 and BS-10 exceeded DPR target value of 1.0 mg/kg at some depths. All other sample depths and locations were within the target limit. The 3-D grid generated for PAH showed that 563,000m3 of the study area exceeded the DPR target value. The 3-D block models generated for TPH and PAH, along with the cross-sections and extracted time slices all showed that the concentration of the Contaminant of Concern (CoC) generally decreased with depth, and the centre of the spill located at the south-eastern part of the survey area. Based on these models, three spill zones were identified; Zone 1-highly contaminated areas (BS-8, BS-9, BS-10); Zone 2 - moderately contaminated areas (BS-1, BS-2, BS-6, BS-7); and low contaminated areas (BS-3, BS-4, BS-5). The entire soil in the area were contaminated with TPH and 47% of the area contaminated with PAH. This study has shown the effectiveness of the use of a model-based approach in quantifying hydrocarbon contamination volumes in the area. There is therefore the need for continuous monitoring of hydrocarbon spills in the area.</p> <h2>Annotation</h2> <p>The article discusses approaches to solving problems of accurately determining strength in kinematic pairs. It is known that the nature of the bonds imposed by kinematic pairs is determined by the geometric shapes of the elements of the pairs. For what, here, the bonds acted during the entire time the mechanism was moving, so that the elements of the kinematic pairs would continuously touch each other. Where it is recognized that one of the simplest methods for taking into account the inertia of a link is the principal moment method. How the contradiction is sought is here because the normal acceleration has a direction opposite because normal acceleration has a direction opposite to the link (directed toward the center), and the image of tangential acceleration is directed parallel to this acceleration. The following simplification can be made if the main vector of inertia is considered together with the weight of the link.</p> <h2>Abstract</h2> <p>Managing municipal solid waste correctly is critical to the success of a society. Many regions and countries in the world are behind others in the context of solid waste management. In order to compare three such regions within this context, a meta-analysis was conducted in order to develop a decision matrix. Within this decision matrix, the United States, Europe, and Asia were compared to determine which region is managing municipal solid waste the best. This research design allowed for compiling information from many sources to increase the accuracy of data used in the justifications for the decision matrix. Purposive sampling was used to select and evaluate sources that discuss solid waste management to discern which region's processes are most favorable in many parameters. The decision matrix consists of nine parameters: main management techniques; finances; landfill taxes; jobs created; waste generation; waste composition; waste storage, collection, and transportation; energy recovery; and environmental health. Each was scored on a scale from zero to ten, ten being the best score and zero being the worst. The final score from the decision matrix suggested that Europe had the most favorable municipal solid waste management (MSWM) system, and the United States had a notably close yet lower score. Asia had the lowest score that was hardly comparable to the other two regions.</p> <p>Pines have been discovered to die in the Alps. In any place of skiing, you can find dried pine trees from 2x to 20 meters high. In each zone of visibility of the forest mass of such pines, there are from 1 to 90%. I wonder if science deals with this issue?</p> 二十多年来,建立空间站后,米尔,然后ISS(国际空间站)人(3 - 6)彼此生活和成功不断约300 - 400公里的高度进行科学实验。For this reason sending men into space has become an activity "almost banal or regular "but this remains potentially a very dangerous environment for the adapted manon Earth and thus requires medical monitoring to ensure the health of astronauts and the persistence of their ability during their mission. In general, the medical benefits on Earth of space conquest go far beyond envy and the need for man to discover the cosmos but to develop many tools medicines to also offer solutions for all living beings on Earth! <h2>Annotation</h2> <p>The study proved that in gully systems with the largest catchment area ranging from 5.0 to 28.8 km2, the degree of dismemberment of gully systems is small, varies mainly from 1 to 3 km / km2, less often from 3 to 5 km / km2. As can be seen, the average annual growth of ravines is 0.34 ... 7.48 m in length, 0.20 ... 2.48 m in width, 0.10 ... 1.16 m in depth. The intensity of erosion development (ravine, planar, etc.) is mediated by their catchment area. Moreover, the degree of division of individual gully systems here is not dependent on their catchment area, moreover, the greatest dissection is observed in gully systems that have the smallest catchment area, which is associated with the conditions of their location.</p> <h2>Abstract</h2> <p>Assuming that the road infrastructure has been implemented in accordance with specifications and standards, poor adhesion between the two layers of asphalt mix can be a significant cause of pavement problems. The general problem observed with the weak adhesion between the layers is the slip failure. Slipping disruption in areas where transport acceleration increases, in areas where acceleration decreases or may occur in bumps. One of the criteria and a test method for measuring adhesion resistance between the hot mix asphalt layers is needed to improve the surface finish. The main objective of this study is to determine the effect of reducing the coefficient of friction between asphalt layers in the displacement of asphaltic layers. Because performing experimental experiments in the country is a deterrent to this goal, the use of analytical and numerical methods has been shown to play an important role in conducting studies. Therefore, in this paper, using vehicle simulation in ABAQUS software and analyzes, it has been found that decreasing the coefficient of friction (adhesion reduction) increases the interlayer deformation, which causes the surface of the pavement to fail. Three different thicknesses for asphalt cladding, including 4, 6, and 7 centimeters, and three different thicknesses for roller concrete layers of 18, 20 and 22 centimeters are used. Modeling and analysis of pavements with finite element method has been performed and the depth of the asphalt and tensile strain slope is calculated at the maximum level. The results show that the type of asphalt mix has a high impact on the amount of sloping and tensile strain at the maximum level. So that under different conditions it is estimated to be about 2-3 times in the amount of rotation at the surface. Also, the amount of groove and strain in the middle of the procedure is increased by a thickness of 11% the thickness of the roller concrete thickness has not changed, but the surface strain has been reduced by 9%.</p> <h2>Abstract</h2> <p>The analytical models are mainly combined with numerical equations for the problems of the pavement under the wheel load. Different assumptions can be considered, such as elastic asphalt and viscoelastic as well as static or dynamic load. Mainly on deformation at the bottom of asphalt and tension layers focus on subgrid. The pavement structure was considered as layers with uniform characteristics. Therefore, this analytical model calculates the three-dimensional contact tension between the wheel and the pavement and the shape of the contact area. Basis and subgrid are considered linear and the asphalt layers can be linear or viscoelastic. This model is based on the results of direct shear stress tests at an axial load constant. The curves obtained from this experiment can be defined by three parameters: the maximum shear stress (shear stress curve versus shear displacement), the interaction modulus between the layers (the same curve slope) and the friction coefficient after the failure. Due to the ability of ABACOUS software, this project is done with this software. One of the methods widely used to predict viscoelastic responses of asphalt mixtures is the finite element method. ABAQUS software is one of the tools that can simulate mixed asphalt behavior based on a finite element method, taking into account all the determinant parameters. The use of the Prony series is one of the common techniques for describing the viscoelastic behavior of asphalt mixtures in ABAQUS software. For this purpose, it is necessary to determine the parameters required for this field, including proven constants, moment elastic modulus, and asphalt mixture poison ratio. On the other hand, the determination of these parameters through testing in addition to spending time and costs requires laboratory equipment. Therefore, in this thesis, a three-dimensional finite element model with ABAQUS software was constructed to analyze the persistent pavement using theoretical relations without conducting the experiment. Also, viscoelastic behavior of common asphalt mixtures and time dependence of its responses at different temperatures can be modeled in ABAQUS software. After performing the shear stress test for different axial loads, different temperatures, with or without a single coil, they found that all parameters are temperature dependent and the coefficient of friction does not depend on the applied axial load. This new model improves the accuracy of the finite element model and its important role can be an analytic expression that includes all the variables that are effective in the problem.</p> <h2>Abstract</h2> <p>The carried work has based on transient vibration response of multiple degrees of freedom (MDOF) system. By this work study of Time–history analysis and prediction of the displacement for excitation has done. For the MDOF system, we have taken the four-storey building to done transient vibration. We establish the equivalent spring-mass system. Transient analysis has done for both Undamped and Damped of the forced system of multiple degrees of freedom (MDOF) system. In the case of the Damped system, we have done three stages of damping, i.e., (1) Underdamped system, (2) Critically damped system, (3) Overdamped system. The time-history graph obtained for two different time stages i.e. 0.001 sec & 0.01 sec with initial time 0.000001 sec. The natural frequency has determined by both theoretical calculation and ANSYS. The whole study of transient vibration makes it possible to predict the damping values that oppose any kind of sudden impact or force vibration, such as blasts, earthquakes and tsunamis. The ANSYS is the modelling and simulation software is used to perform the transient vibration response. The Mode Superposition method is used by ANSYS to calculate the structure response.</p> Damu-Safen农药风险评估、EC (fomesafen 250 g / l) <h2>Abstract</h2> <p>Annually the list of pesticides is replenished by new ones. One of the main criteria for their registration is toxicological and hygienic assessment and its impact on the environment.</p> <p>In order to register the new soy herbicide Damu - Safen, EC (fomesafen, 250 g/l) it was necessary to assess its toxicological and hygienic impact on the environment and humans. Therefore, for the first time we conducted studies of the environmental objects under the influence of Damu-Safen, EC (fomesafen, 250 g/l) and the risk assessment of the active substance fomesafen and pesticide Damu - Safen, EC on the workers. According to the results of the assessment of working conditions for the workers of the tanker and the tractor operator, an acceptable risk was obtained that meets regulatory and hygienic requirements. Residual amounts of fomesafen not exceeding the normative levels were found during conducted studies on environmental objects.</p> <p>Consequently, the results of the risk assessment in the application of pesticide Damu-Safen, EC (fomesafen, 250 g/l) and its impact on the working people and environmental objects indicate the possibility of its application in compliance with optimal environmental conditions and compliance with regulations for appliances and personal protective equipment.</p> <h2>Abstract</h2> <p>This study investigated the effect of Portland cement on stabilization of heavy metal contaminated clayey soils that may give range of geo environemntal benefits. The absolute concentration of heavy metals: Lead (Pb), Zinc (Zn), Chromium (Cr), Cadmium (Cd) and Copper (Cu) were measured using an inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). A series of laboratory scale experiments such as unconfined compression test (UCT), pH test and synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP) were performed to study the effects of curing time and cement content on the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and leaching characteristics of heavy metals. According to results, excessive concentration of heavy metals are present in the topsoil of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) among which Pb, Zn and Cd were most prominent. Other test results showed that the dry density of both C4 and C8 soil samples increases with curing time. Similarly the compressive strength (qu)of C4 and C8 samples at 21 d of curing increases by 40% (113 kPa-288 kPa) and 15% (745kPa-864 kPa) respectively, as compared to the 7 d of curing. Besides, the test results showed a prominent decrease in the leached concentration of heavy metals with increasing curing time.</p> <h2>Abstract</h2> <p>Geosynthetics used in landfills provides a technical and economic advantages over traditional clay liners. It may create stability issue and even lead to landfill failure due to its low interface or internal shear strength if improperly designed and/or constructed. The most common failure mechanism in geosynthetic-lined landfills is transitional failure involving waste and bottom liner (deep-seated failure) or only final cover system (shallow failure). Shear strengths of geosynthetic-geosynthetic and geosynthetic-soil have a wide range of variations. Shear strengths of interface from literature may be used in preliminary design. For final design, site-specific interface shear strengths shall be used. Internal shear strengths of unreinforced geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) are less than those of reinforced GCLs. Unreinforced GCLs are not recommended for slopes steeper than 1:10 (1 Vertical and 10 Horizontal). Peak shear strength of interface and internal GCLs can be used in bottom liner; residual shear strength of interface and internal GCLs shall be used for geosynthetic placed along the slopes. Site-specific shear strengths of waste are recommended to be used in the design. Landfill failure could be triggered by static loadings including excessive leachate, pore pressure above the bottom liners, gas pressure, and excessive wetness of the geomembrane-GCL, and earthquake loading. The factor of safety of 1.5 is recommended for static loading and 1.0 for earthquake loading. A higher factor of safety is recommended if a failure could have a catastrophic effect on human health or the environment, and if large uncertainty exists in input parameters to calculate the factors of safety. The main objective of this review article is to provide a comprehensive knowledge of slope failure mechanisms, causes, and probable remedies in one place.</p> <h2>Abstract</h2> <p>The Coal conveyor system forms an integral part in Thermal Power plant owing to the fact that the overall efficiency of the plant is dependent on the rate at which the coal is carried to the crusher unit. But, as of now, only manual labors are employed to regularly monitor the operation of conveyor system which is highly risky. Hence, by means of a Microcontroller like PIC makes the controlling process much easier. The flaws that occur in the conveyor system are mostly due to the temperature at which the coal is carried and also due to the attrition in the belt. By means of a Temperature sensor and an IR sensor this could be regularly monitored and during any abnormal situation, this initiate Cooling fan in case of high temperature and signals an alarm whenever there is any fault in the system.</p> <h2>Abstract</h2> <p>The paper presents and develops the issue of Cumulative Effect Assessment (CEA) in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening procedure established by the State and Regional regulations In Italy. In the period 2001-15 in the territory of the Venice province (north east Italy, Veneto region) n. 328 projects (and the related environmental preliminary/definitive studies) were applied to competent Authorities (6% to the State, 39% to the Region and 55% to the Province). All the Environmental Impact Studies (EISs) and Environmental Preliminary Studies (EPSs) referring to the this territory officially applied to competent Authorities in the period 2001-2010, have been analysed with focus on the identification and assessment of cumulative effects (CEs); the projects considered and analysed for this purpose comprise a total of n. 181 EIA screening and ordinary procedures; the remaining 147 projects in the period 2011-15 (for a total of 328) are here considered only for statistical reason to an update assessment of project typologies in the same territory.</p> <p>The methodology applied for the analysis of the sample of environmental studies in the period 2001-10 refers to that presented by Cooper and Sheate (2002) with modifications. The investigation has been developed looking for the way in which the topic is performed by practitioners in the environmental studies as from qualitative as well as quantitative point of view. Specific attention has been paid to waste management plants which are always subject to EIA screening procedure since 2008 according to Directive 97/11/EEC and in case to the whole EIA procedure. The approach proposed by Lombardia Region (North Italy; 2010) for EIA screening procedure of waste management plants has been applied to identify CEs and modified according to the characteristics of the considered territory; it allows the performance of the project-based approach and must be completed with a regional-based approach (Dubè, 2003). The proposed approach can be useful in case of waste management and IPPC (Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control, Directive 96/61/EEC, amended with Directives 2008/1/EC and 2010/75/EU) plants to define the financial warranties required for the authorization of operative activity of the plants to cover potential environmental damages produced in cases of accidents and other conditions as required in Europe (art. 14 Directive 2004/35/EC on environmental liability).</p> <p>Several project categories were chosen and their EISs analysed as an exemplificative case according to the potential generation of cumulative impacts and the characteristics of the territory. With reference to the completed procedures where the competent Authority presented a final judgement, it has been observed that the CEA has been seldom developed due to not compulsory legal requirements as already observed by Burris and Canter (1997). Moreover, when it is considered, the methodology is limited and not systemized. Indices of impact have been identified according to emission for the main environmental components focussed with the analysis of the pressure factors of the plants. The study points out the need to analyse and evaluate the cumulative effects (CEs) at a strategic level (within the Strategic Environmental Assessment-SEA- procedure) with a view to preparing the study for EIA/EPS framework procedure for the projects derived from the corresponding plan/program. A sound knowledge of the considered territory and in particular of its pressure sources is of main importance for CEA assessment and impacts' prevention. Geographic Information Sytesm (GIS) application is strongly needed for pressure sources' census and control data storing.</p> <h2>Summary</h2> <p>Bacteria has been known to grow in pipes of water distribution systems and bottled drinking water. Its growth in reusable drinking water bottles is not clear even though they have become more popular and used by children and adults daily everywhere. This study found that there is an extremely high level of bacteria content and a rapid microbial growth in reusable drinking water bottles. The bacteria content tested by heterotrophic plate count (HPC) is in a range of 0-2.4x105 CFU/mL with an average of about 34,000 bacteria counts/ml for bottles used by children and 75,000 bacteria counts/ml for bottles used by adults. Bacteria number can quickly increases to 1-2 million counts/ml in the bottles one day later. Considering the high level of HPC bacteria content in the reusable drinking water bottles, it may be necessary to have some control measures to reduce the bacteria level and to minimize the associated likely health risk of the disease spreading since many people use reusable water bottles every day.</p> <h2>Abstract</h2> <p>Water resources play an integral part in the life of a living being. The various water resources that are present on the earth's surface are in the form of oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, ponds, waterfalls etc. Among these water resources Lakes and reservoirs are vital for people's life, industrial activities and many other day to day activities. These water resources help in obtaining water for drinking after being treated. They also provide water for agriculture and industrial usage, fishery resource, flood control functions and many other activities. Due to the closed nature of lakes', the waste material from sewage, agricultural effluents, domestic and industrial fields, gets accumulated around the surface of these water resources and once the water gets polluted, it gets strenuous to improve the quality of the water. In the study, the authors have examined different effective ways by which the quality of lake water can be improved.</p> <h2>Abstract</h2> <p>This paper presents a laboratory experiment for the formation of hydraulic jump in a rectangular open channel flume to accurately explore the effect of flow structures on water resources. This experiment illustrates the behavior of super-critical flow under sluice gate for various flow rates and downstream depths. Several runs are carried out using Armfield Model No. C4-MKII-5.0-11 to investigate the former computations concerning both the downstream conjugate depth and the critical depth resulting within the jump. Moreover, the model is examined to explore the sensitivity of Froude number by adjusting the flow-meter and over-shot weir in the flume. Also, the type of jump attributed to flow velocity can thus be obtained. Furthermore, both location of hydraulic jump and energy dissipated are discussed under the influence of different gate openings.</p> <h2>Abstract</h2> <p>A preliminary laboratory study was conducted using upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor to investigate the potential of methane generation from brewery wastewater. Brewery wastewater from a local brewery company was collected and used in the experiments. The experiments were run for 15 days. The rate of methane production was about 5.32 L per kg of chemical oxygen demand (COD) removed per day. The pH reduction in the experimental reactor limited the ability of gas production and is likely the result of the temperature at which the experiments were conducted.</p> <h2>Abstract</h2> <p>The actions exerted by waves on a coastal structure very much depend upon hydrodynamic processes that originate on shallow waters; even though significant progresses have been made in the last few years towards a full understanding of wave breaking, design work is still largely based on classical stability formulas. The recent availability of reliable models based on the numerical integration of full Navier-Stokes equations provides an important tool, but the evaluation of forces on vertical structures in shallow waters is still a particularly delicate application because of the complex hydrodynamic issues involved.<br /> <br /> The paper presents deals with the numerical simulation of wave effects on front of a vertical obstacle on a sloping bottom, with the objective of clarifying some physical issues which are relevant towards the applicability of numerical Navier-Stokes simulation as a design tool.</p> <h2>Abstract</h2> <p>Thermal stress of a continuous rigid frame bridge, based on the temperature gradient in Chinese bridge gauge, using a finite element analysis (FEA) method was investigated. First of all, the temperature effect of the whole bridge was analyzed, and the correlation of the improved amplitude of temperature gradient and temperature effect were studied. It was found that there was a linear relationship with temperature stress and improved temperature. And then, the temperature effect of zero block was analyzed and the details of box girder temperature stress distribution investigated by utilizing the FEA method. It was concluded that temperature stress mainly distributed in the body surface; under the condition of the improvement of temperature field, the center temperature stress of zero block was improved about 60% and the end temperature stress of zero block was improved about 75%.</p> <h2>Abstract</h2> <p>MgAl based layered double hydroxide (MgAl-LDH) was used as adsorbent for the removal of chromium oxyanion from an aqueous solution. MgAl-LDH was synthesized successfully using co-precipitation method, and was characterized by X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). MgAl-LDH was thermally treated for improving the chromium adsorption. Samples were treated at 220°C and 450°C. A negligible difference of total chromium adsorption capacities was observed between MgAl-LDH000 and MgAl-LDH220 as 12.56 mg/g and 11.01 mg/g. The maximum chromium adsorption capacity of MgAl-LDH was 88.07 mg/g at 500g/l chromium concentration for MgAl-LDH which has been thermally treated at 450°C (MgAl-LDH450). The results indicated that memory effects of thermally treated MgAl-LDH at certain temperatures were retained and enhanced chromium removal efficiency.</p>
The Immigrant Learning Center in Malden, Massachusetts, just outside Boston, offers free English language lessons to immigrants and refugees aged 16 and up. They're immersive, in that they're taught in English, and cover speaking, reading, writing, listening, grammar and computer skills. Classes take place five days a week and participants can attend morning or afternoon sessions. Pre-pandemic the classes were face to face and they were just about to start meeting in person again when the Omicron variant struck. "Lots of students and staff either got Covid or were exposed to someone with Covid," Karen Oakley, director of English Language Programs at the center told WBZ News Radio. This has meant the classes are now being held solely online again, which isn't good news for the language learners, as the number of attendees dropped dramatically when classes moved to remote teaching. This may well be because of issues around being able to afford computers, as well as reliable wifi. Naturally, Oakley is hoping they get back to in-person learning soon. "Immigrants contribute a lot to our country, our communities," Oakley told WBZ. "Most of them want to learn English to be a part of that community."
Nitrogenase resurrection and the evolution of a singular enzymatic mechanism The planetary biosphere is powered by a suite of key metabolic innovations that emerged early in the history of life. However, it is unknown whether life has always followed the same set of strategies for performing these critical tasks. Today, microbes access atmospheric sources of bioessential nitrogen through the activities of just one family of enzymes, nitrogenases. Here, we show that the only dinitrogen reduction mechanism known to date is an ancient feature conserved from nitrogenase ancestors. We designed a paleomolecular engineering approach wherein ancestral nitrogenase genes were phylogenetically reconstructed and inserted into the genome of the diazotrophic bacterial model, Azotobacter vinelandii, enabling an integrated assessment of both in vivo functionality and purified nitrogenase biochemistry. Nitrogenase ancestors are active and robust to variable incorporation of one or more ancestral protein subunits. Further, we find that all ancestors exhibit the reversible enzymatic mechanism for dinitrogen reduction, specifically evidenced by hydrogen inhibition, that is also exhibited by extant A. vinelandii nitrogenase isozymes. Our results suggest that life may have been constrained in its sampling of protein sequence space to catalyze one of the most energetically challenging biochemical reactions in nature. The experimental framework established here is essential for probing how nitrogenase functionality has been shaped within a dynamic, cellular context to sustain a globally consequential metabolism. Data availability MATERIALS AVAILABILITYMaterials including bacterial strains and plasmids are available to the scientific community upon request.DATA AND CODE AVAILABILITYPhylogenetic data, including sequence alignments and phylogenetic trees, and the script for ancestral gene codon-optimization are publicly available at https://github.com/kacarlab/garcia_nif2023. All other data are included as source data and supplementary files. Article and author information Author details National Aeronautics and Space Administration (19- ICAR19_2-0007) - Amanda K Garcia - Derek F Harris - Alex J Rivier - Brooke M Carruthers - Azul Pinochet-Barros - Lance Seefeldt - Betül Kaçar National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Postdoctoral Fellowship) - Amanda K Garcia University of Wisconsin-Madison - Betül Kaçar Arizona Space Grant Consortium - Brooke M Carruthers National Aeronautics and Space Administration (80NSSC19K1617) - Betül Kaçar The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication. Reviewing Editor - Christian R Landry, Université Laval, Canada Version history - Preprint posted: May 19, 2022 (view preprint) - Received: November 18, 2022 - Accepted: February 16, 2023 - Accepted Manuscript published: February 17, 2023 (version 1) - Version of Record published: March 1, 2023 (version 2) - Version of Record updated: February 6, 2024 (version 3) © 2023, Garcia et al. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited. - 2,569 - views - 323 - downloads - 10 - citations Views, downloads and citations are aggregated across all versions of this paper published by eLife. Download links Downloads (link to download the article as PDF) Open citations (links to open the citations from this article in various online reference manager services) Cite this article (links to download the citations from this article in formats compatible with various reference manager tools) Further reading - Biochemistry and Chemical Biology - Evolutionary Biology Stramenopiles form a clade of diverse eukaryotic organisms, including multicellular algae, the fish and plant pathogenic oomycetes, such as the potato blight Phytophthora, and the human intestinal protozoan Blastocystis. In most eukaryotes, glycolysis is a strictly cytosolic metabolic pathway that converts glucose to pyruvate, resulting in the production of NADH and ATP (Adenosine triphosphate). In contrast, stramenopiles have a branched glycolysis in which the enzymes of the pay-off phase are located in both the cytosol and the mitochondrial matrix. Here, we identify a mitochondrial carrier in Blastocystis that can transport glycolytic intermediates, such as dihydroxyacetone phosphate and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, across the mitochondrial inner membrane, linking the cytosolic and mitochondrial branches of glycolysis. Comparative analyses with the phylogenetically related human mitochondrial oxoglutarate carrier (SLC25A11) and dicarboxylate carrier (SLC25A10) show that the glycolytic intermediate carrier has lost its ability to transport the canonical substrates malate and oxoglutarate. Blastocystis lacks several key components of oxidative phosphorylation required for the generation of mitochondrial ATP, such as complexes III and IV, ATP synthase, and ADP/ATP carriers. The presence of the glycolytic pay-off phase in the mitochondrial matrix generates ATP, which powers energy-requiring processes, such as macromolecular synthesis, as well as NADH, used by mitochondrial complex I to generate a proton motive force to drive the import of proteins and molecules. Given its unique substrate specificity and central role in carbon and energy metabolism, the carrier for glycolytic intermediates identified here represents a specific drug and pesticide target against stramenopile pathogens, which are of great economic importance. - Biochemistry and Chemical Biology Protein phosphorylation is one of the major molecular mechanisms regulating protein activity and function throughout the cell. Pannexin 1 (PANX1) is a large-pore channel permeable to ATP and other cellular metabolites. Its tyrosine phosphorylation and subsequent activation have been found to play critical roles in diverse cellular conditions, including neuronal cell death, acute inflammation, and smooth muscle contraction. Specifically, the non-receptor kinase Src has been reported to phosphorylate Tyr198 and Tyr308 of mouse PANX1 (equivalent to Tyr199 and Tyr309 of human PANX1), resulting in channel opening and ATP release. Although the Src-dependent PANX1 activation mechanism has been widely discussed in the literature, independent validation of the tyrosine phosphorylation of PANX1 has been lacking. Here, we show that commercially available antibodies against the two phosphorylation sites mentioned above—which were used to identify endogenous PANX1 phosphorylation at these two sites—are nonspecific and should not be used to interpret results related to PANX1 phosphorylation. We further provide evidence that neither tyrosine residue is a major phosphorylation site for Src kinase in heterologous expression systems. We call on the field to re-examine the existing paradigm of tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent activation of the PANX1 channel.
Art with Chrystal Phan by Digital Field TripsBetween 1979 and 1980, Canada brought 60,000 refugees to this country from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Of the 7,361 refugees who came to BC, three-quarters were Vietnamese. Artist Chrystal Phan's family arrived on Canada's west coast in the fall of 1980. Join Chrystal for a virtual visit where we'll look at her family's story, examine some of her paintings and do a drawing activity together. 1In 1 playlists Through the perspective of Vietnamese Canadian artist Chrystal Phan and others, we take a closer look at the journey of people who came to Canada from Vietnam as refugees and settled in British Columbia in the years 1979–80. View PathwayLearning about Vietnamese Canadian Experiences Watch1In 1 playlists Vocabulary List Baby Carrier LookSears Studio Portrait LookMy Still Life Look1In 1 playlists How to hold your pencil for shading. 1In 1 playlists Practice your colour values
Loicddosindirgezginler: What Is It and How to Use It? Loicddosindirgezginler is a keyword that refers to a network stress testing tool called LOIC, which stands for Low Orbit Ion Cannon. LOIC is a free and open source software that can be used to launch distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on websites or servers by sending a large amount of traffic to them. In this article, we will explain what LOIC is, how it works, and what are the risks and consequences of using it. DOWNLOAD: https://t.co/LVrhl95GkD What is LOIC? LOIC was originally developed by Praetox Technologies as a network testing tool that could generate a high volume of TCP, UDP, or HTTP requests to a target server. However, it was later adopted by hacktivists and cybercriminals who used it to perform DDoS attacks on various websites, such as those of the Church of Scientology, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). LOIC became popular after it was used by the Anonymous group in their Operation Payback campaign in 2010. How does LOIC work? LOIC can be downloaded and run on any Windows computer with a network connection. The user can specify the target URL or IP address, the port number, the protocol, and the number of threads to use. LOIC then sends a large number of packets or requests to the target server, which can overload its capacity and cause it to slow down or crash. LOIC can also be controlled remotely by an IRC server, which allows multiple users to coordinate their attacks and create a more powerful DDoS effect. This mode is called Hive Mind. What are the risks and consequences of using LOIC? Using LOIC to perform DDoS attacks is illegal in many countries and can result in serious legal consequences for the users. DDoS attacks can cause significant damage to the target websites or servers, as well as to the innocent users who rely on them. DDoS attacks can also affect the performance and security of the network infrastructure that supports them. Moreover, LOIC is not a sophisticated tool and does not hide the identity or location of the users. Therefore, it is easy for law enforcement agencies or cybersecurity experts to trace back the source of the attacks and identify the perpetrators. Loicddosindirgezginler is a keyword that refers to LOIC, a network stress testing tool that can be used to launch DDoS attacks on websites or servers. LOIC is a free and open source software that can generate a large amount of traffic to overload the target server's capacity and cause it to slow down or crash. However, using LOIC for malicious purposes is illegal and unethical, and can expose the users to legal and technical risks. Therefore, we do not recommend using LOIC for anything other than legitimate network testing purposes.
- Research - Open access - Published: Inflammatory and repair serum biomarker pattern. Association to clinical outcomes in COPD Respiratory Research volume 13, Article number: 71 (2012) The relationship between serum biomarkers and clinical expressions of COPD is limited. We planned to further describe this association using markers of inflammation and injury and repair. We studied lung function, comorbidities, exercise tolerance, BODE index, and quality of life in 253 COPD patients and recorded mortality over three years. Serum levels of Interleukins 6,8 and16, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF α) [inflammatory panel], vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) [injury and repair panel] and pulmonary and activation-regulated chemokine (PARC/CCL-18) and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1/CCL2) [chemoattractant panel] were measured. We related the pattern of the biomarker levels to minimal clinically important differences (MCID) using a novel visualization method [ObServed Clinical Association Results (OSCAR) plot]. Levels of the inflammatory markers IL-6, TNF α were higher and those of injury and repair lower (p < 0.01) with more advanced disease (GOLD 1 vs. 4). Using the OSCAR plot, we found that patients in the highest quartile of inflammatory and lowest quartile of injury and repair biomarkers level were more clinically compromised and had higher mortality (p < 0.05). In COPD, serum biomarkers of inflammation and repair are distinctly associated with important clinical parameters and survival. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex inflammatory lung disease with systemic repercussions that impact on patient's performance and survival [1]. The clinical presentation, disease severity and progression are quite heterogeneous and maybe the result of a diverse pathogenic processes that involves abnormalities in different pathogenic pathways (protease-antiprotease balance, oxidative distress, altered immune system and/or apoptotic control) These pathways and other mechanisms may act distinctly or in concert in individual patients and be responsible for the different phenotypic expressions of the disease [2]. COPD is thought to be intimately linked to inflammation, documented locally and systemically [3] and as a consequence, attention has been centered on the level of inflammatory markers and their relation to clinical and physiological measurements [4–6]. Among them, serum biomarkers have been increasingly described in cross sectional or short interventional studies and associated to meaningful clinical outcomes [7, 8]. Plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) level has been found to be associated to disease severity, quality of life, exercise capacity, response to treatment and mortality [9, 10].Fibrinogen has also been well studied and associated to survival, risk of exacerbation and poor clinical outcome [11, 12]. Other studied biomarkers include Desmosine and Isodesmosine ( markers of degradation of mature elastic fibers) [13] serum amyloid A [14], pro-adrenomedullin [15], procalcitonin and CXCL-10 (during exacerbation) [16, 17], surfactant protein D [18], serum PARC/CCL-18 [8], CC-16 [19]and fibronectin [5]. Notwithstanding, there is limited association to disease severity (except for CRP) and to other clinical outcomes [20]. Using high throughput proteomics, we showed that the serum level of 24 out of 147 analytes separated patients with COPD from smokers and non-smoker controls [7]. We also associated the level of selected biomarkers with lung function, functional capacity, exacerbation rate and the BODE index. In the present manuscript, we reasoned that the phenotypic expressions of COPD may be the product of the balance of different biological pathways such as inflammation and injury and repair and that a composite panel of biomarkers expressing different mechanistic pathways could be useful in expressing the complex nature of COPD. We also planned to further study the association of serum biomarkers with outcomes applying more stringent criteria that involve the use of minimal clinically important differences in outcomes and survival. To test these hypotheses we collected baseline serum samples from a large cohort of patients with COPD in 2 different centers. We selected 8 analytes from the original 24 biomarker panel that expressed different biological pathways and correlated them to clinical outcomes using a novel color coded method that relates the level of the biomarker to clinical expressions (beneficial or not) of the disease and possibly represent different pathobiological functions. Materials and methods This is a prospective cohort study of 253 COPD patients representing all stages of disease severity as defined by GOLD [21] recruited from two BODE [1] cohort sites (St Elizabeth's Medical Center, Boston USA and Hospital Universitario Nuestra Senora de Candelaria, Tenerife Spain). The Institutional Review Board approved the study at both institutions and participants signed the informed consent. Patients were included if they fulfilled criteria for COPD [22] ( post bronchodilator FEV1/FVC < 0.7 and > 10 pack/year smoking history) and were in stable condition (no exacerbation for at least 3 months). Exclusion criteria included myocardial infarction, within the past six months, angina, congestive heart failure, malignancy, hepatic cirrhosis, end-stage renal disease, rheumatoid arthritis, orthopedic condition precluding performance of a walking test neurological or psychiatry illness that interfere with participation in the study, tuberculosis or other infection that could affect biomarkers measurement. Participants completed a medical history, physical examination, questionnaires regarding anthropometrics, respiratory symptoms, co-morbid conditions (Charlson Index [23], current medications including inhalers, systemic corticosteroids, xanthenes, statins, antihypertensive, exacerbation requiring intervention [24], dyspnea (mMRC) [25], and health status (St George's Respiratory Questionnaire, SGRQ) [26]. Lung function and two six minute walk distance (6MWD) tests were measured following the ATS standards and guidelines [22, 27]. COPD was categorized by GOLD stages [21] and the BODE index [1]. Survival was measured using medical charts, contacting the patient, family members, primary care physician or reviewing a mortality death index yearly. Biomarker panel Based on our previous work [7] and potential disease pathways [28], we selected 8 biomarkers that also showed strong association with COPD. They were grouped as Inflammatory (IB): interleukins 6, 8, and16 (IL-6, IL-8, IL-16) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF α); Injury and Repair Biomarkers (IRB): vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and matrix metalloproteinase nine (MMP-9) and primary chemoattractants biomarkers (CB): monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1/CCL2) and pulmonary activation regulated protein (PARC/CCL-18). Blood samples were drawn, centrifuged and the serum frozen at −80 degrees centigrade. The levels were determined using individual ELISA tests performed by a blinded group of researchers at the Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona, Spain The lower limit of detection for each marker is as follows: (IL-6: 0.70 pg/ml, IL-8: 3.50 pg/ml, IL-16: 6.20 pg/ml, TNF α,: 1.6 pg/ml, MCP-1: 5.0 pg/ml, PARC: 10 pg/ml, VEGF: 5 pg/ml, MMP-9: 0.156 ng/ml). Data analysis Continuous variables were expressed as means (SD) and medians [IQR]; categorical variables were reported as proportions. For group comparisons, chi-square was used for categorical and analysis of variance (ANOVA) or covariance (Kruskal-Wallis test) for continuous variables. Statistical significant differences were observed at the level of p < 0.05. Associations among biomarkers were explored using Spearman test. The relationship between biomarker levels and clinical outcomes was explored using a novel heat map expression. The patients were divided into quartiles by their serum biomarker level. Subjects belonging to the upper (75th percentile) and lower (25th percentile) quartiles by their specific biomarker level were compared in terms of clinical characteristics and outcomes, including the FEV1, inspiratory to total lung capacity ratio (IC/TLC), DLCO, dyspnea, health status, 6MWD and BODE index. We assessed the importance of differences in clinical outcomes using known minimal clinically important differences (MCID) for the variables where it is established [29]: FEV1(100 ml), MMRC (1 point) [30], SGRQ (− 4 points), BODE( 1 point) [22], 6MWD (37–71 m) and IC/TLC (<0.25) [31]. Statistical comparisons were used to test differences for the other variables with unknown MCID, including death over 3 years. The heatmap colors express the relationship between upper or lower quartile biomarker level and the clinical outcome (ObServed Clinical Association Results or OSCAR plot) using the following color-coding: Differences associated with good clinical outcomes are shown in green, poor outcomes in red and no differences in yellow. To determine the relative predictive contribution of the biomarkers with mortality as the outcome we completed C statistics using only the biomarker panel or associating it to the BODE a well-validated predictor of mortality in COPD. The baseline characteristics of the cohort are shown in Table 1. The patients represented all stages of COPD severity (GOLD stage I: 7%, II: 29%, III: 42% and IV: 23%), 64% were men, mean age 65 (9) years, with important hyperinflation (residual lung volume 212 (64) % predicted value). Despite severe lung disease, the group had a preserved BMI (mean: 27 kg/m2), nutrition status (FFMI mean: 19.62), exercise capacity (6MWD mean: 422 m), reduced comorbidities (Charlson Index mean: 0.45) and relatively low BODE index score (mean: 3 points). Biomarker values changed significantly with rising disease severity. In general, inflammatory and chemoattractant biomarkers increased with worsened disease severity despite more frequent use of systemic corticosteroids while biomarkers of injury and repair decreased (Table 1 and Figure 1A-C). Other medication use (inhalers, statins, antihypertensive medications) was similar between patient's quartiles. Biomarkers associations The relationship between individual biomarkers is shown in Table 2. The associations were significant among some of the markers. Inflammatory-pathway biomarkers IL-6, IL-8, IL-16 and TNF-alpha had a significant correlation among themselves. Likewise, MMP-9 correlated significantly to VEGF, (r = 0.51) and inversely to inflammatory biomarkers. Primary chemoattractants, MCP-1 and PARC/CCL18 exhibited very little relationship to the other biomarkers, but their levels correlated weakly (r = 0.24). Biomarkers and clinical outcomes The differences in clinical outcomes between the patients in the high and low quartiles of biomarker levels are expressed using the OSCAR plot are shown in Figure 2. Mostly, minor differences were observed in demographics between subjects with high or low quartiles of biomarker levels. However, the patients in the upper quartile of inflammatory markers (IB) showed more severe clinical impairment (red color in the OSCAR plot). The difference in the mean value of physiologic and QOL measurements between the upper and lower quartiles shows a lower lung function (FEV1: -138 ml, DLCO: -14%) and walking distance (− 59 m), worse health status (10.7 pts), BODE score (1.75 points), and survival (−21%). In contrast, the subjects in the upper quartile of markers related to injury and repair (IRB) seemed to have a less severe disease status (shown in green color): better FEV1: 345 ml, DLCO 19%, 6MWT: 83.5 m, SGRQ: - 18.4 points, BODE −1.5 points and improved survival (28.5%) These differences are within the recognized MCID for those outcomes (data analysis section). The association between PARC/CCL18 and MCP-1 and disease status was less evident. Using C statistic the biomarkers by themselves predicted mortality with a value of 0.78 (MMP-9 and IL-6 having a significant contribution). Inclusion of the BODE index improved the model predictive value to 0.85 (MMP-9 was the only marker that provided significant contribution to this model). This study of a panel of serum biomarkers related to inflammation, injury and repair, and chemoattractants, measured in a cohort of patients with COPD has two important findings. First, the biomarkers level relate to the degree of airflow obstruction, functional capacity and health status. Second, a biomarker pattern (inflammation and destruction and repair) distinctly correlates with meaningful clinical outcomes including mortality. The interaction between the pattern and the outcomes can be expressed using a novel heatmap method (OSCAR plot). Taken together, these results suggest that a pattern based on values of a small selected panel of serum biomarkers can provide insight into the clinical expression of COPD. The validity and usefulness of biomarkers depend on several characteristics including: association to the pathophysiological processes, association to important clinical outcomes and sensitivity to detect clinically important differences. [4, 6] This study fulfills all of these characteristics. The serum level of the markers did relate to the severity of COPD measured by the degree of airflow limitation, functional capacity and health status. This relationship varied depending on the function of the biomarker. Whereas the serum levels of the inflammatory markers IL-6, IL-8, IL-16, TNF alpha were higher, the markers of injury and repair MMP-9 and VEGF were lower in patients with more severe disease (Table 1). Some of our findings are consistent with those reported in previous cross sectional studies. Bon and collaborators described a statistically significant association between the degree of emphysema by chest CT and serum level of IL-6 and TNF alpha in 234 COPD subjects. [32] TNF alpha is also known to induce synthesis of IL-16 [33] a marker mostly associated with asthma but generated by bronchial epithelium and dendritic cells, CD8+ and CD4+ T cells, key elements in COPD pathobiology [28]. Serum levels of IL-8, IL-6 and TNF alpha decreased in patients with COPD after lung volume reduction surgery [34] and their decrease correlated with the reduction in hyperinflation and improvement in body mass composition post surgery. Likewise, the inverse relation between the level of VEGF and worse COPD severity follows previous reports. VEGF receptor blockage has been shown to generate emphysema suggesting a role of VEGF in preventing destruction or helping facilitate lung repair [35]. Likewise, Valipour et al. [36] found a significant correlation (r = 0.47 p < 0.001) between the degree of airway obstruction and VEGF serum level in 30 stable COPD patients. On the other hand, the association of MMP-9 and lung function differs from previous studies with limited phenotypic information. We previously reported a direct association between the level of MMP-9 and COPD exacerbations [7]. Higashimoto et al. [37] and Olafsdottir and co-workers [38] described a negative correlation between the serum level of MMP-9 and FEV1 (r = −0.28 and r = −0.11 p < 0.01). However Bolton et al. [39], found no correlation between the level of MMP-9 with FEV1 in 70 patients with COPD but higher values in those patients with concomitant osteoporosis. Furthermore, a low ratio of MMP-9/TIMP-1 (tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1) has been associated with airway obstruction, suggesting that an excess of TIMP-1 compared to MMP-9 could be responsible for airway remodeling [40]. Unfortunately, we did not measure the level of TIMP-1, a regulator of MMP-9 activity, but it is possible that a dysregulation in this balance could explain our results. Interestingly, the role of matrix metalloproteinase has been recently reviewed, suggesting a role of MMP-9 not only in alveolar injury but also on the alveolar epithelial repair process in acute lung injury [41]. Although somewhat unexpected, the consistency of our observations and the findings by others [39–41] suggest that we may have to re-evaluate the current thinking about the function of MMP-9 in COPD and suggests a need to study the ratio MMP-9/TIMP-1 in COPD as well as in the concomitant presence of osteoporosis. The second and perhaps most important finding in this study is the relationship between serum biomarker levels and the clinical manifestations of the disease. We developed a novel expression of this relationship using the OSCAR plot, where the differences in clinical important outcomes are compared between patients with the highest biomarker levels and those with the lowest quartile. The differences are not only statistically significant but have recognized clinical relevance. The OSCAR plot provides a comprehensive visualization that relates biomarkers levels patterns to outcomes thus presenting a "fingerprint" of the biomarker/clinical relationship. The results suggest that the patients with the highest levels of inflammatory markers have more severe disease and higher mortality (concepts in line with current thinking). Patients with the highest level of VEGF and MMP-9 had better physiological and functional outcomes. We believe this type of analysis is useful in providing patterns profiles that may help express the complexity of COPD. Even though we determined by multiple regression analysis that decreased levels of MMP-9 were consistently associated with the increased odd of mortality, we believe a pattern profile using OSCAR plots may be more informative than associations between single biomarker level and individual outcome in COPD. This study had some limitations. First, we acknowledge that the selection of biomarkers is incomplete, but we believe is reflective of several mechanistic pathways including inflammation, chemoattraction and injury and repair. The selection of the markers is based on previous studies that included high throughput proteomic analysis of 147 markers in stable and unstable conditions and smokers and non-smokers controls [7, 42]. The ECLIPSE study also reported differences between controls and COPD patients using 4 of the biomarkers here included (IL-6, IL-8, MMP-9 and CCL-18) [12][43]. Second, although it could be argued that there was no validation cohort, this study follows our previous work in serum biomarkers but in a multicenter fashion, with a much larger set of patients and adding mortality as an outcome. Third, the relative low comorbidity rate of this cohort of patients may not represent other COPD cohorts. However, they were recruited from 2 COPD centers in 2 different countries, with similar COPD severity by GOLD and BODE index [43] and the results may therefore reflects findings more likely associated to COPD than to other comorbidities. Fourth, there was no radiologic evaluation (chest computed tomography) in this study to correlate changes in emphysema scores and airway thickness with biomarkers level. However, we performed diffusion capacity measurements (DLCO), a marker of emphysema severity. The level of DLCO correlated with several biomarkers as shown in Figure 2. Fifth, we acknowledge this to be an exploratory study and one that needs to be replicated in a larger cohort. The statistical analysis of the biomarker results by quartiles allowed us to determine clinically important differences not otherwise capture by studying the mean value for the entire group. Since COPD is a heterogenous disease, elevated biomarker level is not universal and therefore, focusing on those individuals with the highest inflammatory level and/or the lowest repair biomarker level may be informative and of clinical importance. Finally, the relatively small number of patients prevents a complete exploration of the value of individual serum markers to predict outcome above and beyond well known clinical predictors such as BODE. The relatively small cohort size may have also affected the predictive value of PARC/CCL18 that was found to be associated with mortality in two recently large cohorts (Lung Health Study and ECLIPSE with 4,825 and 1809 subjects respectively). However, the association between IL-6 and MMP-9 with three-year mortality in this study of a smaller size indicates a possible role for these biomarkers in larger cohorts [44]. In conclusion, we have shown in a cohort of patients with COPD that the patterns of a panel of serum biomarkers levels relate to disease severity and outcome. The patterns support the role of inflammation as one driver of disease severity and a possible protective role for elevated markers of tissue repair. It may very well be that the balance between both processes determines the final outcome of individual patients. The novel way used to evaluate the relationship between serum biomarker levels and clinical outcomes (OSCAR plots) may help explore avenues of research related to the different dimensions of the disease. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) Interleukin 6 Interleukin 8 Interleukin 16 Monocyte Chemotactic Protein 1 Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 - mMRC: modified Medical Research Council ObServed Clinical Association Results Pulmonary and Activation-Regulated Chemokine St George's Respiratory Questionnaire Six Minute Walk Distance. Pinto-Plata VM, Cote C, Cabral H, Taylor J, Celli BR: The 6-min walk distance: change over time and value as a predictor of survival in severe COPD. Eur Respir J. 2004, 23 (1): 28-33. 10.1183/09031936.03.00034603. 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Dickens JA, Miller BE, Edwards LD, Silverman EK, Lomas DA, Tal-Singer R: COPD association and repeatability of blood biomarkers in the ECLIPSE cohort. Respir Res. 2011, 12 (1): 146-10.1186/1465-9921-12-146. Vestbo J, Edwards LD, Scanlon PD, Yates JC, Agusti A, Bakke P, Calverley PM, Celli B, Coxson HO, Crim C, et al: Changes in forced expiratory volume in 1 second over time in COPD. N Engl J Med. 2011, 365 (13): 1184-1192. 10.1056/NEJMoa1105482. Author information Authors and Affiliations Corresponding author Additional information Competing interests VPP: has served on a speaker bureau for GlaxoSmithKline. CC has no conflict of interest. HM is employee of GlaxoSmithKline. JPDT, HC, NV,EC, SZ, HP, RB, MD and FC have no conflict of interest. BC has received research funding from Glaxo Smith Kline, Boehringer Ingelheim, Forrest Medical, Astra Zeneca and served on advisory boards for Glaxo Smith Kline, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Almirall, Astra Zeneca. Authors' contributions VPP, CC, HM, JPDT, BC participated in the conception and design of the manuscript. VPP, CC, HC, NV, EC, SZ, RB, HP,MD, FC acquired the data. VPP, CC, HM, JPDT, BC participated in the analysis and interpretation of data. VPP, CC, HM, JPDT HC, NV, EC, SZ, RB, MD, FC, BC Drafted the article and revised it critically for important intellectual content. VPP, CC, HM, JPDT, HC, NV, EC, SZ, HP, RB, MD, FC, BC, approved the final of the version to be published. Authors' original submitted files for images Below are the links to the authors' original submitted files for images. Rights and permissions This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. About this article Cite this article Pinto-Plata, V., Casanova, C., Müllerova, H. et al. Inflammatory and repair serum biomarker pattern. Association to clinical outcomes in COPD. Respir Res 13, 71 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1186/1465-9921-13-71 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1465-9921-13-71
Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1504794 AUGUST 2023 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 47 improvements beyond just enriching traceabil- ity; they will also be able to assign quantifiable values to their operational efficiency, product quality, and to the capital they end up saving. A Data Wake-up Call Insufficient traceability doesn't just create headaches for OEMs; it affects everyone across the value chain, including suppliers, distribu- tors, and especially consumers. Manufacturers, regulators, and industry stakeholders cannot continue operating under the illusion that conventional traceability pro- cedures meet the moment, especially when the devices in question are used in the automo- tive, medical, or defense industries where the potential consequences of complacency are far too dire. Taking proactive steps to bolster traceability is the best way to protect the integrity of our most essential electronic devices and the peo- ple who depend on them. SMT007 Dr. Eyal Weiss is CTO and founder of Cybord. Battery safety and performance in electronic devices and systems like battery thermal manage- ment, space conditioning, vehicle thermal comfort and thermal energy storage can improve thanks to a continuously tunable thermal regulator created at Purdue University's College of Engineering. Xiulin Ruan and Amy Marconnet have invented patent-pending, solid-state, continuously tunable thermal devices based on compressible graphene foam composites. The devices can dissipate heat, insulate against cold and function across a wide range of temperatures. "As batteries and electronic devices get more powerful, managing heat becomes a more crucial issue," Ruan said. "We all know humans have a nar- row range of temperature to live comfortably, and that is why we wear shirts in the summer to keep cool and coats in the winter to keep warm. Similarly, batteries and electronic devices have a narrow temperature range to function appropriately as well, and are even more 'picky' than humans." Marconnet said, "Batteries perform poorly if they are too hot. As they heat up, chemical reactions occur that cause them to heat up even faster. This unstable reac- tion progression is called 'thermal runaway' and can even lead to fires and explosions. On the other hand, if the temperatures are too low, batteries suffer internal damage. It leads to poor performance like shorter driving ranges for electric vehicles and less cell- phone usage time." Conventional thermal switches, analogous to electrical switches that moderate current flow, tune a battery's heat dissipation pathways only by changing the conduction between on and off states. Ruan said the Purdue-invented thermal reg- ulators improve upon this technology by changing the thickness of the material inside the regulators, which helps batteries continually adjust to different climates and seasons. The commercially available compressible gra- phene foam Ruan and Marconnet use is built from nanoscopic particles of carbon deposited in a spe- cific pattern with small voids of air in between. (Source: Purdue University) Purdue Engineers Create Continuously Tunable Thermal Regulators
Do you have a mobile app idea you'd like to come true? Our first recommendation: don't rush. As our experience working with startups suggests, many such projects want to jump from a concept to a profitable business in no time. Yet, developing an app MVP is not a piece of cake. Startups frequently find it hard to face challenges. Negative user feedback, low retention rate, or the like. It all adds up to a negative return on investment and, as a result, failure. You need a startup business plan to avoid this pitfall, devouring up to 90% of new businesses. Our company helps new businesses find remote software development talent that can work at any stage of development, from the discovery phase to MVP creation. Being experts in business analysis, we are eager to share our knowledge with you. Today, we'll discuss the app startup business plan and how it can benefit launching your startup business. A business plan describes your project and its concepts in detail. It covers crucial steps and elements of your company's development. These include your business description, goals, cost and revenue estimates, potential risks analysis, and marketing strategy. As a rule, the app startup's business plan forecasts several years ahead. You need it to see where your project is heading and steer it accordingly. It is not set in stone – check through this strategic plan every few months to determine if you're meeting your objectives and whether these goals still suit your business. Is a business plan, though, really necessary? We are sure that it is. Here are just a few reasons companies need such a document. People are increasingly relying on mobile applications. It's unsurprising given that smartphones are constantly within reach, and mobile solutions tackle issues in various areas ranging from food delivery to online learning. Consider that in the first quarter of 2021 alone, Google Play contained about 3.48 million applications, and the Apple App Store, in turn, 2.22 million apps. How do you stand out in this crowded market? How can you find your audience? Your mobile app business plan should, at the very least, answer these questions. A company's ability to respond to challenges and its resilience boost its chances of success. But isn't it easier to identify weaknesses or forecast potential difficulties in advance? This way, you can avoid losses and solve problems before they arise. Having a good idea is not enough. Even the most brilliant concept is doomed without a defined strategy. A business plan helps you consider all aspects of your project, such as marketing, financing, and management. This document also details your concept, making its execution more understandable for you and all stakeholders, including investors. Every business plan is unique. It describes a specific company and its distinct vision of the product, whether a mobile application or other software. Keep in mind there is no one-size-fits-all business plan that everyone can use as a recipe for success. The fundamental distinction between business strategies for mobile applications and other software is in the following aspects: The strategy for mobile apps will contrast with any other software development startup business plan. It is attributable to a different technology stack, unique financing approaches, marketing methods, user experience, and market analysis. We'll discuss the structure of the business plan in greater detail later. Yet, the mandatory sections are executive summary, company description, market analysis, marketing strategy, and financing. Each part of your business plan relates to your specific mobile application, its niche, and ways to implement such a project. We promised you to go through the structure of the business plan for app startup in further depth. Developing such strategies is what our company does in the discovery phase, which includes conducting thorough business analytics. Now, let's get acquainted with the mandatory elements of the business plan. Start your business plan for app startup with an executive summary –a brief overview of your idea and its advantages. It is your chance to make a great first impression. Think elevator pitch, just in writing. It is the first thing an investor will read. Be clear and precise to make an excellent executive summary. In this part of your document, you need to list the following: The problem that your application will address We recommend writing this business plan section after you have finished the others. It will make it easier to summarize all the information into a gist. It is the business plan part, which is a detailed description of your mobile application. In this section, provide the reader with the following information: It is a one-page document, usually divided into 10-12 fields. It helps to deconstruct ideas and test their viability. Thanks to Lean Canvas, you can also find unique sales propositions and resources for this goal. This part of your startup business plan entails a detailed market analysis. It's especially critical in the competitive world of mobile applications. In this section, study your niche, learn about its tendencies, potential sources of revenue, and possible challenges. You should also assess your target audience using the following indicators: geographical, behavioral, and socioeconomic. Don't forget to perform some research on your competitors. Only write this part after thoroughly researching the market. After all, developing a successful marketing plan necessitates a deep understanding of the industry, your target audience, and your competitors. What you need to do in this business strategy section: Let's figure out what the abbreviations mentioned above mean: It is an integral part of the business plan, thanks to which you can determine your application's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, as the abbreviation suggests. Why is it necessary? First, demonstrate how you distinguish yourself in the market and what prospects are available. Second, to stay cautious of all risks. As a rule, companies create a financial plan for five years ahead. It should take into account the following aspects: You must mention the sources of financing and capital necessary to launch your project in this section. You should also list the investment options you intend to use. We encourage you to analyze these funding opportunities through resources such as Crunchbase, Linkedin, Tech Crunch, networking, and more. This part of your business plan for software startup is your step-by-step strategy. You may use it as a road map for your project. Here you need to set goals and priorities and based on them, break your project into small portions of work and set deadlines. This section determines the implementation schedule of your application. We also recommend that you use a lot of visuals and graphs in this part to help readers smoothly follow your progress. The last element of your startup business plan illustrates your company's structure. Begin your team's description with its leadership, list the names and positions of these people, and provide a brief biography of everyone. Be sure to describe other employees in this section, such as developers, designers, etc. Don't forget to add a list of skills your specialists have to make it easier for investors and potential partners to get to know the team. As you can see, a business strategy is a lengthy document that often takes a long time to assemble. Yet, the time spent writing a business plan for a mobile app is well-justified. Not only do you get a realistic image of your project, but you also gain other advantages. A business plan provides the following opportunities: SWOT analysis, included in your business plan, can assist you in identifying your startup's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. With this analysis, you can specifically focus on the imperfections of your project. Thus, you will discover solutions to problems and convert your flaws into strengths. A business plan is essentially a document defining your goals and establishing a strategy to attain them. Two common strategies to achieve your goals are the long path with expected minimal risks or the short risky path. When we apply these tactics to an MVP launch, we get two startup launch types: soft and hard. So, a business plan allows you to think about a strategy to achieve goals long before your project's release. A business strategy will address many of your project-related questions. But for this document to be meaningful, you must conduct extensive preliminary research in finance, marketing, and management. Also, include an analysis of competitors and the market. By compiling this information into a single document, you will understand how to differentiate yourself from the competition, your unique value proposition (UVP), and the project's strengths and shortcomings. The management process gets considerably smoother with a business plan for a software startup. This document serves as a road map describing each stage of project development. You can also regulate your budget using a business strategy. As mentioned earlier, Lean Canvas is a one-page business plan template for tech startups with 10-12 sections that helps you to assess your idea and critical assumptions. Lean Canvas is a simple and effective tool for quickly evaluating your concept and future project. But it's not informative for a thorough analysis. That's why a business plan, which is an extensive document containing forecasts for several years ahead, gives more in-depth information about your startup. Present your project more effectively You can easily use information from your business plan to showcase your idea to investors, other stakeholders, or your team members, such as developers. A business plan contains a lot of analytical data and forecasts. With it, you can make your presentation convincing and thus gain the support of your partners. Here are the main benefits of creating a business plan for your startup. You may also use the ideation process to improve this document and broaden your vision and forecasts for the future. Let's talk about this process in greater depth. Before we get into how ideation can help you write a business plan for an app, let's figure out what it is. It's the process of generating ideas using various creative approaches like brainstorming, prototyping, sketching, etc. Here's how the ideation phase can help you build a startup business plan: Product ideation helps you ask the right questions, and it becomes a reality since all questions are appropriate in such a creative process. Sometimes the most simple requests can lead to innovative ideas. The product ideation model or methodology transforms inner feelings into something tangible and practical. Through empathy, further identification of your ideas, prototyping, and testing, you can increase the innovative potential of your project and illustrate it in a business plan. Collective work on the concept will help you create the most relevant project. If possible, hold an ideation session with your team and outline the ideas you can use in your business plan. A business plan is a document you need to revise occasionally. It is necessary to review your goals and possibly add new ones. Because of the ideation process, you might suddenly explore project areas you had not considered. You may learn about your application's lack of uniqueness by researching the market and rivals. Once again, the ideation here comes to the rescue. This creative process will make your product and startup business plan distinctive and attractive. Following the ideation stage, which helps generate ideas, you need to test the viability of these concepts. It's when the idea validation phase steps in. It determines whether your project is worth investing in and whether your product will be in demand in the market. Such long-term goals help you ballpark a meaningful destination. That's how long it takes to make measurable progress, short enough to drive urgency. It's where you use small and fast experiments to test your strategy and make course corrections. Simple models, like the Lean Canvas and the Traction Roadmap, help align the entire team around key assumptions, goals, and constraints that shape the 90-day cycle objectives. The team then formulates and pitches possible campaigns for meeting the 90-day cycle objectives. The team uses the right mix of generative and evaluative experiments or learning and validating experiments to uncover insights and achieve traction. As previously stated, developing a comprehensive mobile app business plan is time-consuming. This procedure entails conducting all possible analyses and research. All this is aimed at making your strategy as accurate as feasible. However, to make the planning of your mobile solution go smoother, you may seek the assistance of specialists and: About the Author Kamal Rastogi is a serial IT entrepreneur with 25 yrs plus experience. Currently his focus area is Data Science business, ERP Consulting, IT Staffing and Experttal.com (Fastest growing US based platform to hire verified / Risk Compliant Expert IT resources from talent rich countries like India, Romania, Philippines etc...directly). His firms service clients like KPMG, Deloitte, EnY, Samsung, Wipro, NCR Corporation etc in India and USA.
If you're wondering whether it's safe for your furry friend to indulge in some fried eggs, HowPetCare has got you covered. We all love eggs and often enjoy them in various ways, from scrambled to boiled. But can dogs share in this delicious treat? Let's find out! Can Dogs Eat Raw Eggs? It's generally not recommended to feed your dog raw eggs. Raw eggs can harbor bacteria like E.coli and Salmonella, which can make dogs sick. Not only that, but Salmonellosis, a bacterial infection caused by Salmonella, can also be transmitted from dogs to humans. So, giving your dog a raw egg may not be the best decision for your entire household! Signs that your dog may have contracted Salmonellosis include fever, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, and a lack of appetite. If you suspect that your dog has been exposed to raw eggs or is showing any of these symptoms, it's important to contact your veterinarian for guidance. Can Dogs Eat Cooked Eggs? Yes! Cooked eggs can be a healthy addition to your dog's diet. They are packed with essential fatty acids, amino acids, and digestible protein. However, remember that cooked eggs should not replace your dog's primary source of protein. Instead, they can serve as a nutritious snack or supplement to their regular food. As with any food, moderation is key. Feeding your dog too many eggs can lead to an upset stomach due to the high cholesterol content, which could contribute to obesity over time. It's always best to consult with your veterinarian to determine the appropriate amount of eggs for your dog. Before you start serving eggs to your pup, it's important to be aware that dogs, like humans, can have allergies. After giving your dog their first egg, keep an eye out for any signs of an allergic reaction, such as hives, swelling, difficulty breathing, or coughing. If you notice any of these symptoms, contact your veterinarian immediately. If your dog has any preexisting health conditions, it's a good idea to consult with your vet before introducing eggs into their diet. Ways to Prepare Eggs for Your Dog Now that we've covered the benefits and risks of feeding eggs to your dog, let's explore the different ways you can prepare them: Scrambled Eggs Yes, dogs can enjoy scrambled eggs! However, make sure they are cooked plain without any added milk, seasonings, or oil, as these can be harmful to dogs. Soft and scrambled eggs are particularly gentle on the digestive system, making them a great choice for dogs with upset stomachs or dental problems. They provide healthy fats and proteins that dogs love! Fried Eggs While dogs can technically eat fried eggs, it's not the ideal method of cooking for them. Fried eggs usually require oil or butter to prevent sticking, both of which are not recommended for dogs. Boiled Eggs Boiled eggs are one of the safest ways to serve eggs to your dog. They don't carry the risk of any leftover oil or seasonings that may be present when frying or scrambling eggs. After boiling an egg for your dog, be sure to let it cool off and cut it into smaller pieces to prevent choking. Deviled Eggs Dogs should not eat deviled eggs. Most deviled egg recipes call for ingredients like mayonnaise, onions, and garlic, which are dangerous for dogs to consume. It's best to avoid sharing deviled eggs with your furry friend. Can Dogs Eat Eggshells? Eggshells contain essential elements such as calcium, magnesium, and zinc. While it is safe for dogs to eat eggshells, it's crucial to offer them in moderation to prevent excessive calcium intake. Additionally, unless the eggshells are ground into a powder, there is a risk of causing harm to your dog's mouth, throat, or stomach. Unless you're consulting with a veterinarian and preparing homemade meals for your dog, it's best to avoid giving them eggshells. The Bottom Line In conclusion, dogs can safely enjoy cooked eggs as long as they are served in moderation and without any additives or seasonings. Free-range and organic eggs are recommended for their superior nutritional value. Remember to consult with your veterinarian if you have any doubts about your dog's dietary needs. At HowPetCare, we prioritize thorough research and the well-being of our furry friends. Our dog meal toppers and treats are made with purposeful ingredients, including organic eggs and powdered eggshells. Check out our human-grade dog food toppers and fresh dog treats. If you have any questions about our ingredients or products, we'd love to hear from you! Keys to take away: - Dogs can eat cooked eggs in moderation. - Raw eggs should be avoided due to the risk of bacterial infections. - Scrambled and boiled eggs are safe for dogs when prepared plain. - Fried eggs are not recommended for dogs due to the added oil or butter. - Dogs should not consume deviled eggs due to harmful ingredients. - Eggshells can be consumed in moderation but pose risks if not ground into a powder. - Consult with a veterinarian for guidance on your dog's nutritional needs. Continue reading at HowPetCare for more pet care tips and advice.
Editor's note Marie Reig Florensa is on a journey of discovery, getting to know heart-based creative leaders from around the globe. A leader of the heart: Are you one of them? is a series of compact, heart-charged articles where executive coach Marie Reig Florensa – together with Carlos El Asmar – explore what it means to "lead from the heart." - Am I talking poetry or am I talking business? I am confident that when you hear idioms such as "open your heart", "listen to your heart", and "follow your heart" the first reaction is to associate them with poetic idealism rather than real business strategy. Yet the benefits that heart-based leadership reports for creativity, creative leaders, creative organizations, and business are widely unknown. - What would be your reaction if I tell you that leading from the heart might be the most efficient, long-term, business leadership strategy when observing the four main business challenges of our digitalization times? It is true that when it comes to "business talk" we tend to look at "the heart" as an unrealistic, unpractical, inefficient set of emotions, as the opposite of "the head", as leadership specialist Mark C. Crowley points out. Yet, if you have been reading this series of posts, by now you already better understand that the boundary lines of the court in which to play the heart-based leadership game are somehow different from what, at first sight, common understanding, and popular assumptions make us believe. Leading from the heart has little to do with "head vs heart" stereotypes and it is all about head, heart & guts working in synergy. Let's continue walking this shared Journey to the Heart exploring together the most common assumptions and stereotypesassociated with what leading from the heart might bring up in business, as well as the most unknown and relevant benefits of heart-based leadership from a business perspective. By the end of this post, I am also convinced that you will see heart-based leadership with fresh eyes when it comes to understanding its true value to drive business success and positive impact. While you read, you are also invited to bear in mind the rules of this game: open eyes, open ears, open mind, and open heart. Because it is okay to wonder and question what is believed to be known. As the wise Socrates told us, this is what leads us to the pathway where to find better answers than the ones we had before. Here we go: - Is heart-based leadership able and willing to drive profit? - Is heart-based leadership too soft to get strong results? - Is heart-based leadership fit for high-speed, digital, and technological times? - Is heart-based leadership able and willing to drive profit? Experts acknowledge that from a mainstream business perspective, referring to the "heart" has been traditionally viewed with a certain degree of skepticism, resistance, and objection. The "heart" tends to be perceived as fuzzy, touchy feeling, fluffy, utopian, kumbaya, soft and sentimental. Often viewed as antithetical to driving profit. Scholars and specialists note that this misunderstanding is partly based on the assumption that productivity, and with it, profitability, is the result of a work ethic that considers necessary to keep people under a certain degree of tension. This, point experts, reflects a belief (conscious or unconscious) in fear and intimidation as the best drivers of performance. Yet this is a limiting belief and an assumption that betrays what top leadership scholars and experts define as needed to drive true productivity: meaning and direction. Contrary to common belief, positive psychology studies also tell us that when it comes to cooperation and creativity our physiology is wired for love, not fear. Heart-based leadership not only reflects the direct connection between engagement, performance, and profitability but also the capability to develop and sustain complex cooperation across stakeholders, as well as enhance the organization's creativity and innovation capabilities. Contrary to common preconceptions, the truth is that the "heart" in business leadership does not miss the requirement of building and sustaining a profitable business. Heart-based businesses measure their results and success not only in terms of financial profits but also by considering the benefits rendered to people and the planet. What matters is "making a difference" beyond profit – hence building and sustaining a profitable meaningful business. - Is heart-based leadership too soft to get strong results? Academic research highlights that traditionally there has been a dominant understanding that leadership is about being "at the top" and "having all the answers". True is that effective leadership is still nowadays erroneously associated with a "command and control" mindset and approach. When things move fast, uncertainty reigns, and creativity and innovation are pursued having to tell others what to do or controlling how things are being done does not support business success. Thus it dampens talent and creates bottlenecks. We must also consider that research confirms that business leaders have generally encountered difficulties in translating heart-related intentions into practice. For example, the value of emotional intelligence in life and business has only been popularised since the mid-nineties. That is less than 30 years ago. "It is easier to lead people and be in a professional setting when emotions are not there. Yeah, because emotions get messy. So you have to be willing to sacrifice a little comfort zone. Right for the well-being of the whole team." – Carlos El Asmar It is also true that the heart, in its relationship with empathy, vulnerability, humility, inclusiveness, generosity, balance, and patience, tends to be more associated with what is feminine. In this sense, it is connected with certain gendered leadership characteristics and behaviors that are culturally perceived as less adequate and less effective. Being a "strong leader" has been long associated with projecting an unapproachable, masculine, highly charismatic, and opinionated personality. Yet this is not the type of leader able to build up synergetic collaboration and support talent growth. There are also status-related limiting perspectives, in which what's associated with the "heart", emotions-related work, is considered less or not as much as what is associated with the "head", which is commonly understood as "more elevated" for its cognitive and intellectual requisites. Yet, nowadays science confirms that all thoughts are always emotionalized, there is no objective or solely rational thoughts because, in fact, we are emotional creatures that think (and not the other way around). Only by embracing and learning to manage emotions, we are able to make the most of our creative potential as individuals, teams, and organizations. "To follow your heart requires vulnerability. Being vulnerable is about opening your heart, about embracing the possibility of being hurt, and this is a sign of courage. To follow your heart is not about being weak but truly strong, contrary to what many people might commonly think". – Carlos El Asmar - Is heart-based leadership fit for high-speed, digital, and technological times? Leading from the heart is a win-win-win business approach that positively responds to the four main business challenges of our time, according to expert research: the speed of change and innovation, the imperative of collaboration, the requisite for employee engagement, and the demand for organizational and business purpose. - Heart-based leadership empowers leaders, teams, and organizations to thrive despite the speed of change and innovation. This is because it fosters trust, ongoing learning, and democratized leadership across all levels in the organization. Yes, it supports "agile", "networked" and teams-based organizational models within organizational cultures and operational structures that seek to promote collaboration. It also enables trust to flourish which in its turn enables taking risks, the sharing of information, and openly discussing ideas. "Ours is a context that requires fast ongoing learning extracted from confronting and digging into failure, challenges, and setbacks. All of which are valuable sources of information that drive innovation, problem-solving, and creativity". When uncertainty reigns, removing hierarchical decision-making bottlenecks becomes a critical factor for success, says Martin Reeves chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, BCG's think tank dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science. In other words, agility, flexibility, innovation, and creativity can better thrive when leaders are found at all levels of the organization, as leading from the heart fosters and supports. When talent is a competitive advantage and the most important asset of organizations, then considering people's needs it is no more a "nice to have" but an imperative to drive collaboration. MIT Sloan's "Future of Leadership" study likewise highlights that "Mastering Relationships" is one of the essential leadership behaviors for the Digital Age. This is because knowledge work is creative work we do in interaction, as sociologist Esko Kilpi states. The ones who dare to try, know that in our fast-changing and highly interconnected digital world heart-based leadership not only reduces friction but it actually builds up synergy and facilitates co-learning and co-creating to achieve more and better for all. The imperative of collaboration to achieve business success requires a "new" leadership playbook on the basis of high-quality interpersonal relationships, as heart-based leadership does. - Heart-based leadership conduits employee engagement. And only when we are engaged our full potential is unleashed. We have briefly explored engagement as a driver for performance and profit, yet engagement is also connected with the employee's will for personal growth and development and their aspiration for meaningful contribution and fulfillment at work. In fact, that is what we all truly aspire to, to unleash self-realization by means of our contribution at work. When we lead from the heart, as we have learned across this post series, taking into consideration the needs and aspirations of people, employees, and team members, as well as cultivating a positive working climate, is naturally done from genuine care for the whole human being. Heart-based leadership creates cultures where people are invited to unfold all that they can become. - Leading from the heart is made out of purpose-driven leadership that is able to foster a purpose driven-organization and a purpose driven-business. With it, it gives response to the growing aspirations and expectations of employees, investors, and consumers who, in front of the societal context of crisis, demand brands and organizations to act as social agents, to take a stand, to do good while at the same time generate sustainable profit. This requires the organizational leader(s) to embody the organizational purpose in resonance with his/her own. This is not an easy job. The thing is if the purpose is not pursued as a genuine belief, if it is not authentic, it is not going to work. Nowadays purpose has also a strategic business function, as it is connected with the need for organizational alignment to achieve success to fast and resiliently navigate the waves of uncertain complex times. Purpose is about setting the course of the organization and finding synergy in rowing, together, in the same direction. "If you are gonna get results from your team, but you are miserable, they're miserable. What for? What is the purpose"? -Carlos El Asmar As we have noted, purpose is also connected with the employee's aspiration for meaning and fulfillment; with the sense of "being part of something greater than yourself", as professor and leadership expert Robert E. Quinn points out. Yet studies have already demonstrated that only authentic, honest, genuine, and real purpose can truly contribute to generating that expected positive impact in the world and inform a truly sustainable business from inside to outside with integrity and congruence. That is what the leader of the heart is determined to unfold. Now that you are able to better recognize what it means to lead from the heart I dare you to start spotting more and more business cases and top leadership testimonials that are making a call to be one of them, a leader of the heart. Yes, now you see it clearly, leading from the heart it is not only beautiful it also makes business sense. Yeah! It is time to lead from the heart for the most sustainable and positive creative impact. In our next post, we will delve into exploring the implications of leading from the heart for your creativity to be unleashed. The last question of this series is at stake: What does heart-based leadership have to do with my creative potential? This is The Journey to the Heart. A shared exploration and discovery quest to better understand what is and what is not heart-based leadership, what are the benefits for you, your team, your organization, and your creativity. What is most important, we are on a mission to uncover if, in truth, you are one of them, a leader of the heart. Would you like to continue?
Affordable housing is a fundamental human right that is often overlooked in today's fast-paced world. As populations continue to grow and housing costs rise at an alarming rate, more and more individuals and families are finding themselves priced out of their own communities. This has led to a housing crisis in many cities and towns across the globe, causing immense strain on individuals and families who are struggling to make ends meet. Advocating for affordable housing in the community is crucial in order to ensure that everyone has access to safe and stable housing. This means not only advocating for the construction of new affordable housing units, but also fighting against gentrification and displacement of low-income residents. It means working with local governments, developers, and community organizations to come up with creative solutions to the housing crisis that will benefit everyone in the community. One of the first steps in advocating for affordable housing is to educate the community about the importance of affordable housing and the impact that a lack of affordable housing can have on individuals and families. Many people may not realize just how dire the housing crisis is in their own communities, and it is up to advocates to raise awareness and mobilize support for affordable housing initiatives. Building a coalition of supporters is essential when advocating for affordable housing. This means reaching out to community members, organizations, and local leaders who share the same goal of ensuring that everyone has access to affordable housing. By working together, advocates can amplify their voices and make a bigger impact on housing policies and decisions. Advocates for affordable housing must also be willing to engage in difficult conversations about race, class, and privilege. The housing crisis disproportionately affects marginalized communities, including people of color, immigrants, and individuals with disabilities. Advocates must be aware of these disparities and work to ensure that affordable housing initiatives are inclusive and equitable for all community members. One of the most effective ways to advocate for affordable housing is to get involved in local politics. This can mean attending city council meetings, writing letters to local officials, or even running for office yourself. By engaging with local government, advocates can influence housing policies and decisions that directly impact the community. Another important aspect of advocating for affordable housing is to support local organizations that are working towards the same goal. These organizations can provide valuable resources and expertise, as well as opportunities for advocates to get involved in grassroots efforts to promote affordable housing in the community. Advocates for affordable housing must also be willing to push back against opposition and resistance from those who benefit from the status quo. Developers, landlords, and other stakeholders may be resistant to affordable housing initiatives that could impact their bottom line, but advocates must stand firm in their commitment to creating a more just and equitable housing system for all. In conclusion, advocating for affordable housing in the community is a critical endeavor that requires dedication, passion, and perseverance. By raising awareness, building coalitions, engaging in difficult conversations, getting involved in local politics, supporting local organizations, and pushing back against opposition, advocates can make a real difference in ensuring that everyone has access to safe and stable housing. Affordable housing is a human right, and it is up to all of us to work together to make it a reality for everyone in our communities.
Throughout a surgery, the physician is sitting before a surgical console, where he sees a show of the surgical area, three-dimensional and magnified and works a surgery by going levers that look like joysticks. The guidelines given by the surgeon through the levers are transferred digitally, simultaneously and with admirable precision, to the articulated hands of a surgical robot, which performs the movements in the surgical area. The movements of the arms of the robot are controlled by the surgeon, who has to be specially-trained in the use of the system. The Da Vinci surgical system will be the first robotic surgical system which was permitted by the FDA to carry out interventions. It consists of a surgeon's system where the surgeon sits and obtaining the display in front of an increased and three-dimensional picture of the surgical field and moves the levers giving specific coaching in surgical robot arms. The system of the robotic arms where the surgical instruments and endoscope are is positioned next to the patient. It is sure that the likelihood of problems depends mainly on the experience of the surgeon and the previous state of the patient. A number of the most common injuries which were built to people who'd perform a lawsuit, is bleeding, infections, causing damage adjacent organs and a persistent pain. You need to become fully informed about it, if you might like to do any type of surgery with Da Vinci process and you need to provide great attention to the medial side effects that may affect you. Further Information [http://www.davincilawsuit.us/ Da Vinci Surgical System Lawsuit Center].
The Plan Integration for Resilience Scorecard (PIRSTM), recently launched by S&T's Coastal Resilience Center, helps local governments plan for hurricane season—and beyond. Last year at this time, Hurricane Ian struck Florida's Gulf Coast as a category 4, with additional landfalls in Cuba and South Carolina. By the time the powerful storm retreated, Ian was responsible for over 150 deaths and more than $112 billion in damage (PDF, 72 pgs., 6.9 MB). When hurricanes make landfall, coastal communities are especially vulnerable to storm surges, high winds, and freshwater flooding. Residents can be left without clean water, food, shelter, electricity, and access to medical care for days. Communities need proper tools to adequately prepare for these storms, especially as climate change worsens the impact of these extreme weather events. The Coastal Resilience Center (CRC), a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Center of Excellence funded by the Science & Technology Directorate (S&T), is working to arm communities with modeling and evaluation tools that will give local leaders a leg up in boosting response and resiliency. This year during hurricane season, CRC—led by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) in partnership with Jackson State University, a Historically Black College and University—is using its high-performance ADvanced CIRCulation model (ADCIRC) to forecast storm surges, tides, and coastal circulation. During Hurricane Ian, and more recently during Hurricane Idalia in August, ADCIRC provided detailed prediction of storm category, landfall location, radius, wind speed, surge levels, and storm track. This information was incorporated into daily operations briefings for DHS leadership and informed local communities across the East Coast. However, being able to predict certain variables of a storm with tools like ADCIRC may not be enough. Cities, towns, and counties are required to adopt and update standalone emergency management plans for a variety of threats, including coastal hazards, floods, and wildfires, but there is often little coordination between regional planning efforts, which may lead to inefficiencies, duplication of effort, or even result in conflict between plans. Better integration of plans at the city, county, state, and federal levels could lead to better use of common resources, less investment in high-risk infrastructure and development, and ultimately protect lives and property. To improve planning and coordination efforts across geographic regions, CRC launched the Plan Integration for Resilience Scorecard (PIRS™) website, a new resource that helps local government officials evaluate an area and sort out networks of plans to reduce hazard vulnerability and protect the economic, social, and environmental well-being of their communities. Developed by CRC with funding from S&T, the website offers a free guidebook that helps communities navigate the process of assessing and aligning their plans to maximize investments and reduce potential disaster impacts. "PIRS™ helps communities evaluate and coordinate their networks of plans using a unique method of 'spatial plan evaluation' that looks explicitly at the spatial language in policies and their likely effects on hazard vulnerability," said Dr. Siyu Yu of Texas A&M University, who co-leads the project with UNC-CH's Dr. Phil Berke. The PIRS™ guidebook, which has been implemented in at least 10 U.S. communities to date, also identifies potential response shortfalls by layering multiple plans. The PIRS™ website is the culmination of years of work by the CRC research team, which has created a scorecard system for planners to ensure one plan doesn't impede, prevent, or undo the work of another. PIRS™ is an approach that gathers numerous emergency plans and policies, as well as information on hazard zones and planning districts, then analyzes how these elements interact, down to the impacts on individual neighborhoods. "Hazard mitigation planning tools are imperative as they can be used over time to help reduce risks and future losses," said Rebecca Medina, director of S&T's Office of University Programs. PIRS™ provides invaluable insights about planning priorities, promoting better collaboration, and determining which parts of a community are especially vulnerable to disasters. The scorecard can provide the motivation and information that local government officials and decision-makers need to better integrate their networks of plans. In addition, end users, including those from FEMA and individual communities, will find case studies, publications, and webinars to guide them in emergency planning and plan integration, as well as provide them with access to a PIRS™ course through the American Planning Association (APA). Through key partnerships with APA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, PIRS™ has made a widespread impact beyond its original application to flooding. New applications focused on multi-hazard scenarios, including wildfires and urban heat, are demonstrating that the tool's approach to plan integration can be more broadly adopted. "We need to be preparing to adapt to the changes that are coming," said Dr. Berke. "We will face drought, wildfire, mass migrations, and conflict. PIRS™ is one tool to help communities move in the direction of resilience." Using the right tools when preparing for natural disasters can lead to better coordination amongst coastal communities and may reduce a storm's overall impact—lessening recovery time and creating safer communities. "An effective planning tool like the PIRS™ Scorecard helps emergency managers develop and deconflict response plans, paving the way for communities to recover quickly and ideally thrive in the aftermath of a natural disaster," says Medina. Learn more about PIRS™ from CRC's short video overview, as well as an extended interview with Drs. Berke and Yu on the COE's new podcast, Shoreside. For more information about CRC itself, see S&T's CRC Fact Sheet. Finally, to learn more about the ADCIRC Prediction System, see S&T's "Getting Ahead of the Storm Surge: ADCIRC Model Fact Sheet and Video." For related media inquiries, contact firstname.lastname@example.com.
- What Are Common Causes of .DVR-MS Files Lost or Failure? - How to recover lost .DVR-MS files? - Programs to recover .DVR-MS files - How to open file with .DVR-MS extension? What Are Common Causes of ".DVR-MS" Files Lost or Failure? There can be several common causes for ".DVR-MS" file loss or failure. Some of them include: - Accidental deletion: One of the most common causes is accidental deletion by the user. It can happen when the user mistakenly deletes the ".DVR-MS" files or formats the storage device containing the files. - File system corruption: File system corruption can occur due to various reasons like improper system shutdown, power failures, hardware issues, or software errors. This corruption can result in the loss or failure of ".DVR-MS" files. - Virus or malware attack: Viruses or malware can infect the storage device containing the ".DVR-MS" files and cause them to become inaccessible or corrupted. These malicious programs can delete or modify the files, making them unusable. - Software or hardware malfunction: Issues with the DVR software or hardware can lead to the failure or loss of ".DVR-MS" files. This can occur due to software bugs, compatibility issues, or hardware failures. - File system conversion: When converting the file system of a storage device, such as from FAT32 to NTFS, there is a risk of data loss or file corruption. If the conversion process is not performed correctly, it can result in the loss of ".DVR-MS" files. - Physical damage to storage media: Physical damage to the storage device, such as a hard drive or memory card, can cause the ".DVR-MS" files to become inaccessible or lost. This can happen due to factors like dropping the device, water damage, or exposure to extreme temperatures. - Human error: Human error, such as mistakenly formatting the wrong drive or accidentally deleting the ".DVR-MS" files, can lead to their loss or failure. It is important to regularly backup ".DVR-MS" files to prevent data loss and use reliable data recovery tools in case of any unexpected file loss or failure. How to recover lost ".DVR-MS" files? Sometimes while working with a computer, laptop or other stationary or mobile devices, you may encounter various bugs, freezes, hardware or software failures, even in spite of regular updates and junk cleaning. As a result, an important ".DVR-MS" file may be deleted. By no means should you think that the only way to recover a ".DVR-MS" file is always to create it once more. Use programs for recovering ".DVR-MS" files if a file was lost after accidental or deliberate deleting, formatting the memory card or the internal storage, cleaning the storage device, after a virus attack or a system failure. Programs to recover ".DVR-MS" files Looking for a way to get files back? In cases when files were deleted and they cannot be restored by using standard operating system tools, use Hetman Partition Recovery. Follow the directions below: Download Hetman Partition Recovery, install and start the program. The program will automatically scan the computer and display all hard disks and removable drives connected to it, as well as physical and local disks. Double-click on the disk from which you need to recover ".DVR-MS" files, and select analysis type. When the scanning is over, you will be shown the files for recovery. To find a file you need, use the program's interface to open the folder it was deleted from, or go to the folder "Content-Aware Analysis" and select the required file type. Select the files you have been looking for and click "Recovery". Choose one of the methods for saving the files and recover them. How to open file with ".DVR-MS" extension? Looking for how to open a stereo microsoft Digital Video Recording image file file? Programs that open ".DVR-MS" files Windows \| Microsoft Windows Media Center \| Microsoft Windows Media Player \| Roxio Creator NXT Pro 7 \| Corel VideoStudio 2019 \| CyberLink PowerDVD 17 \| CyberLink PowerDirector 15 Ultra \| CyberLink PowerProducer 6 \| Online Media Technologies AVS Video Converter \| Additional Information File type: Microsoft Digital Video Recording File extension: .DVR-MS Developer: Microsoft Category: Video Files Format: Binary
Collection of German (and a few English) humanities and history e-book titles. Some examples of titles included are: Historische Migrationsforschung - Sylvia Hahn Eine sowjetische Nation: Nationale Sozialismusinterpretationen in Armenien seit 1945 - Maike Lehmann One Law for All? Western models and local practices in (post-) imperial contexts - Stefan B. Kirmse (Ed.) Krisen verstehen:Historische und kulturwissenschaftliche Annäherungen - Thomas Mergel (Ed.) Collection of scholarly German ebooks in the social sciences. Subjects covered include cultural studies, philosophy, political science, and sociology. Database A-Z info page: Campus Verlag Ebooks: Sozialwissenschaften 2001-2012 Guide to Campus Verlag Ebooks: Sozialwissenschaften 2001-2012 Collection of full-text, English-language Canadian poetry Canadian Poetry was created in partnership with the Electronic Text Centre at the University of New Brunswick Libraries and offers a collection of the full text of more than 19,000 English-language poems by 177 Canadian poets. The corpus includes works by Bliss Carman, Isabella Valancy Crawford, Archibald Lampman, Charles G. D. Roberts and Duncan Campbell Scott as well as lesser known authors from the seventeenth century to the early twentieth. The aim has been to provide a comprehensive database of the poetry of Canadian authors whose works were published up to and including 1900 and who died before 1950. The database is not intended to function as a critical edition; variants, composition history and scholarly apparatus are not provided." The vendor continues, "All poems published in book form have been included, as have uncollected broadsheet and serial publications before 1850; post-1850 broadsheet and serial publications have been included at the discretion of the editorial board. Translations have not been included unless they assumed a wider importance and became part of the fabric of contemporary cultural life. Fiction, poetry, manuscripts, archival content, interviews, photographs and other formats, representing writers from the entire Caribbean region. Materials are from the 19th and 20th centuries. Includes numerous rare and hard-to-find works written in English, French, Spanish, Dutch, and various Creole languages. Full-text access to a searchable online archive of academic e-journals and e-books in the Humanities and Social Sciences from and about Central and Eastern Europe. Provides access to all journals and articles, more than 4,370 open access e-books, and over 9,400 open access grey literature items (institutional reports, working papers, government documents, white papers, etc.). Currently, the archive's content comes from over 1400 publishers. Indiana University Libraries' subscription does not include full access to all e-books and grey literature, so some paywalls are expected. Chinese ebooks and eReference databases. IUB has acquired 241 titles of APABI Chinese ebooks and 52 eReference materials. More titles will be added on an on-going basis. The viewer Apabi Reader requires installation. The introduction guide with the Viewer information can be accessed from the "Help" link, located at top right corner of the main page. Information resource for research communities in the biomedical and life sciences. Access to 50- to 120-page e-books that synthesizes essential scientific topics, authored by prominent researchers. Includes access to Computer & Information Science Collections 1 through 8. Also includes access to a number of ebooks in the Synthesis Series. Access to e-books and e-journal articles in the humanities, sciences, technology, medicine and social sciences. To view content accessible to IUB users, select "licensed content" when searching. Coverage ranges from early German texts to works of major 19th-century authors, including areas such as literature, history, philosophy, theology, politics, and art history. The Digitale Bibliothek Deutscher Klassiker offers an electronic version of the texts published since 1981 by the Deutscher Klassiker Verlag [German Classical Publishing Company], an affiliate of the Suhrkamp publishing company. As the title suggests, it makes available major works by German-language authors, spanning eleven centuries and ranging from such early texts as Lancelot und Ginover and works by Wolfram von Eschenbach to writings by major 18th- and 19th-century authors such as Herder, Büchner, Schleiermacher, and Fichte. As well, there are collections of historical, philosophical, theological, political, and art history texts. All works have been newly edited and are accompanied by extensive commentaries. Searching can be done for titles, keywords, or authors. Searches can be limited to the works of a particular author or to a specific genre of texts. Keyword searches can be performed on words in combination or for words in proximity. Truncation and wildcard searching allows retrieval of documents containing variations on a search term. Database A-Z info page: Digitale Bibliothek Deutscher Klassiker Guide to Digitale Bibliothek Deutscher Klassiker (ProQuest platform) An enhancement of Early American Fiction 1789-1850, this database includes its predecessor and over 300 additional first editions of major fiction titles from the late 18th century to 1875. The full-text of each work is available and searchable, and page images of the original editions are included. Includes novels and short stories by such authors as Louisa May Alcott, Herman Melville, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Mark Twain, as well as a host of minor writers of the period. Database A-Z info page: Early American Fiction, 1789-1875 Guide to Early American Fiction, 1789-1875 (ProQuest platform) Contains every book published in England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and the United States between 1475-1700. From the first book published in English through the 17th-century, this collection contains over 125,000 titles listed in Pollard & Redgrave's Short-Title Catalogue (1475-1640) and Wing's Short-Title Catalogue (1641-1700) and their revised editions, as well as the Thomason Tracts (1640-1661) collection and the Early English Books Tract Supplement. The database offers complete citation information and page images. Contains 211 works in English prose by writers from the British Isles from the period 1500-1700. Includes early editions of well-known works such as John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress and Sir Philip Sidney's Arcadia. Also includes collections of tales, jest-books, and satires. Searchable electronic books in very wide range of disciplines. Provides access to full text electronic editions of books. Search by specifying subjects, keywords, authors, publishers, publication years, or other information available for the documents. Includes access to the Academic Complete collection, containing over 134,000 scholarly ebooks from leading publishers. Access to popular e-books aimed at a high school audience. Includes a selection of classic literary works, important historical documents and general reference materials. Access to ebooks aimed at K-8 students. Covers all subject areas taught in elementary and middle schools. Includes 48,000 titles from more than 490 popular publishers covering a wide range of topics such as self-help, fitness, games, hobbies and cooking. A collection of over 6,000 full text books in a variety of subject areas, fully searchable by author, title, and keyword. EBSCO ebook Collection (formerly netLibrary) povides access to a collection of thousands of scholarly, professional and reference full text books in a wide variety of subject areas. The texts are fully searchable by author, title, and keyword. MacIntosh users will need to install the Schubert PDF browser plug-in. Includes significant English-language and foreign-language titles printed in the United Kingdom during the 18th century, along with thousands of important works from the Americas. The database contains more than 32 million pages of text and more than 205,000 individual volumes in all. In addition, ECCO natively supports OCR-based full-text searching of this corpus. Includes the writings of 30 18th-century writers from the British Isles. Includes the works of 30 of the most influential writers of the British Isles in the eighteenth century. It contains 77 collected works or 96 discrete items, of which 71 are first editions. The aim of the database is not to be definitive, but to provide a representative selection of texts from the eighteenth century; both those familiar to the modern reader and those popular when first published. The database gathers as complete a corpus as possible for the major authors of the period, such as Fielding, Richardson, Defoe, Sterne and Smollett. The strong representation of female authors and lesser-known writers augments this corpus, thereby providing a thorough and balanced collection. Electronic access to ejournals covering the fields of business, management, economics, engineering, computing, technology and social sciences. Includes over 200,000 articles from 309 journals. More than 3,900 plays in verse and prose from the late thirteenth century. English Drama contains more than 3,900 plays in verse and prose from the late thirteenth century - the likely date of the Shrewsbury Fragments - to the early twentieth. It offers exhaustive coverage of the prodigious dramatic literature of the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods, as well as Restoration plays, medieval morality plays and mystery cycles, and nineteenth-century closet dramas. In addition to works by major dramatists such as Ben Jonson, Aphra Behn, William Wycherley, Oliver Goldsmith, Richard Sheridan, Oscar Wilde and J. M. Synge, English Drama includes the dramatic writings of many more neglected writers long inaccessible in print form. English-language works of British, Irish, Scottish and Welsh poets, from the Anglo-Saxon period through the end of the nineteenth century. The English Poetry database contains over 4,500 volumes by 1,350 poets, comprising over 165,920 poems. Poets whose works are included have been selected from The New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (available in the IU Research Collections under the Call Number REF Z 2011.N53). The poems are the English-language works of British, Irish, Scottish and Welsh poets, from the Anglo-Saxon period through the end of the Nineteenth century.
Usually found in secure facilities such as mental health units, prisons, young offenders institutions, and immigration control, anti-ligature products are designed to prevent vulnerable people from causing harm to themselves or others. What does Anti-Ligature Mean? Anti-ligature refers to designs or features that are intended to prevent the attachment of ligatures and to prevent self-harm or harm to others. In simpler terms, these designs aim to eliminate any potential points where someone could tie or attach a rope, cord, or similar object to cause injury. Why is Anti-Ligature Important? By implementing anti-ligature features, institutions can reduce the risk of self-harm, suicide, or violence. These measures not only protect individuals but also create a safer environment for staff and other occupants. Anti-ligature design is applied in a variety of ways, depending on the setting and the level of risk. Anti-ligature design is applied in a variety of ways, depending on the setting and the level of risk. Here are some common examples: 1. Anti-Ligature Fixtures: Fixtures such as light fixtures, door handles, faucets, and curtain rods are designed to prevent the attachment of ligatures. For example, anti-ligature door handles might be shaped to avoid loops or have a mechanism that disallows cord attachment. 2. Anti-Ligature Furniture: Furniture like beds, desks, and chairs in high-risk environments is designed to reduce the potential for self-harm. This might include rounded edges, reduced gaps, and durable construction that can withstand stress without providing attachment points. 3. Anti-Ligature Bathroom Accessories: Bathrooms can pose a significant risk due to the number of potential ligature points. Anti-ligature bathroom accessories, such as towel rails, toilet roll holders, and showerheads, are designed to minimize this risk by eliminating points where cords or ropes could be tied. 4. Anti-Ligature Electronics: In settings where technology is necessary, anti-ligature electronics help ensure safety. These might include tamper-resistant enclosures for TVs, computers, or other electronics, which are designed to prevent dismantling or creating ligature points. Design Considerations for Anti-Ligature Environments Creating an anti-ligature environment requires careful consideration of various design aspects. The primary goal is to ensure safety, which means eliminating potential hazards and addressing all possible risks. Anti-ligature products must be durable to withstand stress and frequent use while maintaining functionality and ease of use. It's also crucial to adhere to the various standards and regulations regarding anti-ligature design in different countries and industries. Although safety is the main focus, it's also important to create a welcoming and comfortable environment. Anti-ligature designs should balance safety with aesthetics, ensuring that the environment doesn't feel institutionalized or sterile. Anti-ligature design is an essential aspect of creating safe environments in high-risk settings. By understanding what anti-ligature means, architects, designers, and facility managers can contribute to safer environments for vulnerable individuals. From anti-ligature fixtures to furniture and electronics, every detail plays a role in reducing risks and promoting well-being. By embracing these design principles, we can make a significant impact on safety and security in critical environments. View our range of anti-ligature products here or give our team of experts a call for more information. For further information regarding any of these products please complete a enquiry form by clicking below or alternatively call one of our sales team on +44 (0) 1722 744594 or email firstname.lastname@example.com. Usually found in secure facilities such as mental health units, prisons, young offenders institutions, and immigration control, anti-ligature products are designed to prevent vulnerable people from causing harm to themselves or others. READ MOREThe chain's significant new project in Ireland specified ThriiTap+ thanks to its versatile, 3-in-1 hand wash dryer functionality. READ MOREThe smallest, most versatile, 3-in-1 hand wash dryer is here… READ MOREWallgate joined the Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA) in 2017, and continue to go from strength to strength. READ MORESpecifying products for washrooms, whatever sector it might be for, may seem like a fairly straightforward task, but there are a number of considerations that need to be taken into account if success is to be achieved. READ MOREWe've been working closely with Willmott Dixon Interiors to provide a comfortable yet secure environment in the newly refurbished 'Larches Ward' at St Michael's Hospital in Coventry. READ MOREThere are several levels of solutions available to improve school facilities, but specifying the correct washroom solution will go a long way to encouraging good hygiene and an environment where bacteria and germs struggle to take hold. READ MOREPerfect for those smaller spaces that require a big impact product. Could ThriiTap+ be the new hero of hospitality? We think so. READ MOREHere at Wallgate, we love a cheeky Nando's, and it seems they love us just as much... READ MOREHealthmatic UK & Ireland recently unveiled their new refurbishment project for Fingal City Council, displaying Wallgate's Thrii hand wash dryer units and solid surface toilets. READ MORENando's have recently refurbished their original UK restaurant in Putney, and the flame-grilling experts decided that the ThriiTap+ needed to be included in their spec! READ MOREVandalism can be a real problem, resulting in unusable public toilets and unnecessary costs. This was a key factor for Portreath Parish Council when designing their public toilets. READ MOREThrii is the next generation all-in-one hand wash dryer which gives you complete control in the washroom, whatever the challenges are, with huge energy and cost savings, too. READ MOREOur e-Suite product range has won yet another award – this time for Best Furniture and Fixtures Product at the Building Better Healthcare Awards 2021. This accolade follows the recent win of the prestigious Product Innovation award at the Design in Mental Health (DIMH) 2021 conference and exhibition. READ MOREWallgate is celebrating an award-winning performance at the Design in Mental Health (DIMH) 2021 conference and exhibition after picking up the prestigious Product Innovation Award for its e-Suite. READ MOREThis year's Design in Mental Health (DIMH) conference and exhibition, is the venue for Wallgate to showcase its new dementia e-Suite range. This new range is the latest development in a long line of products designed to aid independence for those living with dementia and reduce reliance on the caregiver. READ MOREPlans for Wallgate and its sister company Naish Felts' new multi-purpose development in Highpost, four miles north of Salisbury, has been classified as 'excellent' by the industry body BREEAM. READ MOREThroughout these uncertain times, here at Wallgate we're working hard to keep everything running smoothly as we fulfil orders and maintain our high standards of customer service. READ MOREAs we continue to manufacture products to meet the needs of the essential industries here at Wallgate, against a backdrop of the changing Coronavirus situation the safety and well-being of staff and customers remains our utmost priority. READ MOREIn the face of the current COVID-19 outbreak, ensuring good hygiene has never been more important. Which is why following hand washing best practice and government advice is something individuals should be looking to do, and companies looking to encourage where possible. And for our customers with the Thrii all-in-one hand wash dryer, its settings can be easily adjusted in order to achieve this. READ MOREIn light of the recent Coronavirus outbreak, here at Wallgate we would like to reassure customers that we are working hard to maintain our levels of customer service while continuously ensuring the safety of our customers and staff. READ MOREPlanning permission has been granted for Wallgate's new factory premises to be built on a green field site at High Post, near Salisbury. READ MORETees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust's new mental health hospital Foss Park is set for completion mid-2020, offering high quality mental health care in York. READ MOREThis week Wallgate's American partner AquaDesign Manufacturing showcased Wallgate's sanitaryware solutions at Healthcare Design Expo & Conference, New Orleans 3-5 November. READ MOREWorking closely with Australasian partners Galvin Engineering, Wallgate has been developing a new secure shower range that helps minimise risk and improves the normality of the products, benefiting patients and staff alike. READ MOREWallgate join partner DML Enterprises at Hopitech 2019 in Poitiers, France on the 2 – 4 October. READ MOREAfter the successful installation of the Wallgate Thrii-Marine hand wash dryer across multiple Carnival Cruise ships, Carnival has once again chosen Wallgate's next generation stainless steel Thrii Marine for Carnival Horizon. READ MOREThe community of Hamworthy in Dorset is delighted to have had its community toilets reopened by none other than the King of the Jungle Harry Redknapp. READ MOREWallgate was pleased to see the recent case study released by partners GalvinEngineering showcasing the completion of The Prince Charles Hospital Medium Secure Mental Health facility in Chermside, Australia. READ MOREFollowing on from our initial success; supplying the Carnival Freedom cruise ship, Wallgate has now delivered hand washing facilities to SEVERAL vessels in the Carnival fleet. READ MOREWallgate is excited to announce that the Costa Venezia cruise ship, set to launch in March 2019, will be installed with Wallgate's Thrii hand wash dryers. READ MOREWallgate had a successful two days exhibiting at the Design in Mental Health conference and exhibition for the fifth year running. READ MORECommissioned under P21+, Fieldhead Hospital in Wakefield has undergone huge developments, with the previous Trinity building completely demolished to make room for a new contemporary designed state-of-the art development in its place. READ MOREWallgate attended Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trusts Estates Mental Health Exhibition on Wednesday 27th March at the Uffculme Centre, Birmingham. READ MOREWallgate's products help The New Forest District Council in creating washroom facilities that are modern, environmentally friendly and meet the needs of everyone in the local community. READ MORETeignbridge District council has upgraded thirty three Wallgate hand wash dryers approaching thirty years old, for the next generation all-in-one Thrii. READ MOREFollowing on from our initial success; supplying the Carnival Freedom Cruise Ship, Wallgate has now delivered hand washing facilities to several vessels in the Carnival fleet. READ MOREAs with all schools, the toilets at Lewis Girls Comprehensive School were a hot topic of conversation for the students. READ MOREFor the fourth year running, Wallgate will be connecting with the world of mental health design, to help make a difference at The Design in Mental Health Show, Birmingham, in May. READ MOREWallgate's Australasian partners Galvin Engineering showcased Wallgate's sanitaryware solutions at 2018 Australian Healthcare week READ MOREThe new Wallgate approved CPD module 'Innovative Washroom Solutions' discusses the key elements and criteria that architects and specifiers need to consider when designing all aspects of a school washroom. READ MOREWallgate is delighted to announce that it has been awarded a position in the Standard Components Mental Health Sanitaryware category under the ProCure22 framework. READ MOREThe two office washroom facilities at Wiltshire-based felt manufacturer and supplier, Naish Felts required a complete refurbishment and refit to their 'sixties' building due to wear and tear over the last 40 years. READ MOREKingdown Secondary School has worked closely with Wallgate for almost six years, installing robust innovative washroom solutions on both new build and refurbishment projects. READ MOREHMP Lowdham Grange, situated in Nottingham, has undertaken two extensions, firstly in 2007 and again in 2010. READ MOREThe Barton Court project, started in January 2015, was highlighted as part of a current three year refit program to improve public conveniences in the New Forest region. READ MOREWest Midlands Police Central Custody Suite, a new 60-bed facility in Oldbury, opened in early 2016. READ MOREReal-time demonstrations of its networked water management controllers and discussions on the development of its new anti-ligature proportional shower controls were hot topics on the Wallgate stand at the Design in Mental Health Exhibition. READ MOREBohunt Secondary School has recently installed eight black solid surface Wallgate Thrii's in a new toilet block to bring the total within the school to 34 units across seven toilet blocks. READ MOREFollowing a major refurbishment, the Queen's Square Shopping Centre reopened its centre's public washrooms in 2014 with Wallgate's Thrii hand wash facilities proving very popular. READ MOREThe Lake District's natural beauty and abundant wildlife inspired Beatrix Potter to write her much-loved stories and today those characters are brought to life at a popular tourist attraction in the heart of the Lakeland countryside. READ MOREUK conservation charity, The National Trust, has been using Wallgate washroom products for over 20 years, with the latest products being installed during the summer of 2015. READ MOREWallgate has a long history of working closely with West London Mental Health NHS Trust (WLMHT) and supplying products to Broadmoor Hospital – the current new build project is no exception. READ MOREWallgate has introduced a significant upgrade to its range of WDC electronic water management controllers, with the addition of automatic data logging of all automatic hygiene purges. READ MOREWallgate will be demonstrating its healthcare sanitaryware range and unveiling new washroom products at the Design in Mental Health Show, Birmingham. New for 2017 are the latest shower controller and solid surface material developments. READ MORERecently, the Secretary for the Department of Education said that if the bottom 75 per cent of schools became as efficient as the most cost effective 25 per cent then the education budget over the next few years wouldn't be a problem. READ MOREWith most school budgets seemingly always at breaking point, and as many as 72% of school leaders saying their budgets will be 'unsustainable' by 2019, the education sector needs to be doing everything it can to make the money go further. Added to that the expectations from government and parents for schools to maintain or raise their standards and provide a better, cleaner and more hygienic environment for the children to learn in, is understandably difficult for most. Phil Thorne, commercial manager at Wallgate provides some timely advice. READ MOREWallgate Limited is delighted to announce the appointment of Australia's leading commercial tapware supplier, Galvin Engineering, as its sole Australasian distributor. READ MOREWallgate's commitment to staff training and health and safety was underlined last month when 13 members of the team took the City and Guild accredited programme on water hygiene in healthcare building water systems (ACoP, HSG274, HTM 04-01). READ MOREAttending for the second year in a row, Wallgate were again demonstrating their healthcare sanitary ware range and unveiling new products at the Design in Mental Health Exhibition, Birmingham, this time, introducing a specialist dementia-friendly range. READ MORESt Ilans School, Caerphilly has recently chosen Wallgate products for a £3.5m new build project. The construction of a new three-storey teaching block and entrance atrium was developed to meet the needs of staff and pupils aged 3-16 years. READ MORESheffield chooses Wallgate sanitaryware and controls for new build PICU Unit. READ MOREWallgate is pleased to announce that we are now a certified member of the UK's largest procurement and supply chain management service for the construction industry. READ MOREBohunt Secondary School has recently installed eight black solid surface Wallgate Thrii's in a new toilet block to bring the total within the school to 34 units across seven toilet blocks. READ MORENew build completed using Wallgate sanitaryware bespoke colour for en-suites. READ MOREWallgate is pleased to announce our partnership with Intersan Manufacturing, Phoenix AZ enabling new and existing clients to benefit from the combined offerings presented by both companies. READ MOREWallgate proud to supply sanitaryware for the 2015 Pacific Games in Papua New Guinea. READ MORESometimes it is the small things that count: READ MOREWallgate is pleased to announce the release of their temperature adjustable anti-ligature shower, the SMVA09. READ MOREThe aim of the Better Bedroom Initiative is to raise awareness of good mental health design, stimulating debate and innovation and moving design and the service user environment to the next level. READ MORENew contrasting grey for fixed WC seats launched at the Design in Mental Health Show 19-20 May 2015. READ MORELast week's DIMH conference and exhibition provided an ideal venue for Wallgate to launch several new products within our range of anti-ligature sanitaryware and associated controls. READ MOREQueen's Square Shopping Centre reopens with Wallgate's Thrii hand wash facilities. READ MOREFollowing an enquiry from Carnival cruises to introduce new hand wash units for customers on board, Wallgate is pleased to introduce our new Thrii Marine. READ MOREFollowing an enquiry from Carnival cruises to introduce new hand wash units for customers on board, Wallgate is pleased to introduce our new Thrii Marine. READ MOREWallgate is proud to announce that the Thrii now meets the Australian SAA Electrical safety approval. This is another big step for Wallgate Australasia with the Thrii previously gaining Watermark™ approval. READ MOREFollowing on from Wallgate's range of WC pans gaining Australia's WaterMark™ certification Wallgate's leading automatic hand wash unit - the Thrii® has also gained this approval. READ MORENew models provide a variety of mounting configurations and seat options. READ MOREWallgate is well known in the UK for public washrooms so we are delighted to be chosen to supply our automatic hand wash units for a major project to create public washroom facilities throughout Moscow, RUSSIA. READ MOREWallgate announces their new CWC-100 wall mounted toilet pan at ISH 2013. READ MORECeramic WC pans and basins used extensively throughout the prison estate suffer high rates of breakages with replacements sometimes difficult to obtain. With over 10 years experience supplying into UK prisons, Wallgate was contacted by NOMS to provide a solution to the problem.
Lost Time Incidents Lost Time Incidents (LTIs) are a major concern in drilling operations. Worryingly, data from IADC reports for 2021/22 suggests a troubling trend: a significant portion of these incidents could have been prevented by someone simply speaking up. This highlights the crucial role of psychological safety in creating a work environment where crew members feel empowered to voice concerns without fear of blame or retribution. Here's how leadership can cultivate this vital element and, in turn, reduce incidents: Building the Foundation: Psychological Safety 101 Psychological safety goes beyond standard safety protocols. It fosters a culture where individuals feel comfortable raising concerns, admitting errors, and offering constructive criticism. This openness is key to identifying potential hazards before they escalate into incidents. Leadership's Role: Leading by Example - 1. Actively Listen: Leaders set the tone. Demonstrate active listening by giving crew members your full attention when they raise concerns. Don't interrupt, and acknowledge their input with respect. - 2. Reward Speaking Up: Recognize and celebrate individuals who speak up about safety issues. Publicly acknowledge their contribution and encourage others to follow their example. - 3. Normalize Mistakes: Drilling is a complex operation. Mistakes happen. Leaders who create a blame-free environment empower crew members to learn from errors and prevent future occurrences. Human Factors Crew Resource Management (HF CRM) Training: The Perfect Complement Human Factors Crew Resource Management (HF CRM) training equips crews with critical communication and teamwork skills that bolster psychological safety. HF CRM programs typically cover aspects like: - Situational Awareness: Training crews to be aware of their surroundings and potential risks promotes proactive safety measures. - Communication Skills: Effective communication ensures clear instructions, timely warnings, and a platform for raising concerns. - Decision-Making: Empowering crew members to make informed decisions based on safety protocols and their collective expertise fosters a sense of ownership for safe operations. The Synergy: Psychological Safety + HF CRM = Safer Operations When combined, psychological safety and HF CRM training create a powerful synergy: - Empowered Crews: Psychologically safe crews trained in HF CRM are more likely to speak up about unsafe conditions or practices. - Better Communication: Open communication facilitated by HF CRM empowers crews to address concerns directly with supervisors. - Improved Decision-Making: Confidence to voice concerns fosters informed, collaborative decisions that prioritize safety. The Result: A Culture of Safety By prioritizing psychological safety and investing in HF CRM training, drilling operations can create a culture where safety becomes the top priority. This not only reduces LTIs but also fosters a positive work environment where crew members feel valued and empowered. Remember, the key to preventing incidents lies in open communication and a shared commitment to safety. Let's build a future where speaking up isn't just encouraged, it's expected.
Selling Online is one of the fastest-growing sources of mail-order sales. It's estimated that e-commerce sales have been growing nine times faster than traditional in-store sales since 1998. According to The U.S. Census Bureau's report on retail sales in the US, the total e-commerce sales for 2019 are estimated at over 600 billion dollars, in revenue and it is expected to continue growing! It is also one of the quickest and easiest ways to begin making money online. Selling your handmade products or services online is a low cost way to enter into selling online which requires less overall investment! The Benefits of Selling Online are Multi-fold: • You have direct access to a worldwide customer base, spanning local, regional, and national demographics. • Online platforms offer convenience for customers, enabling them to browse and purchase products at their convenience. •Handling customer orders and inquiries online streamlines communication, allowing for prompt responses and reducing manual data entry. •Online shareable options makes Word-of-mouth marketing a breeze through social media and link sharing. My Personal Journey: Selling online is my success story which started in the early days of the Internet ! My personal journey in online sales serves as a testament to the unlimited money making possibles of selling online. When my husband and I an online selling endeavor, we capitalized on his passion for woodworking. My creative juices began to go into overdrive, thinking about his skills and my knowledge of the Internet. Combining my husband's passion for woodworking with my knowledge of how to make money online , we ventured into offering unique, handcrafted wooden products. Our business took off quickly and turn into a full time career . A couple of our products was featured on prominent TV shows like the Martha Stewart Show and Extreme Home Makeover. I accredit my online success to having learned SEO early in my Internet career! Quick Start Guide To Selling Online Legal Requirements To Consider From a legal perspective, selling online involves several key requirements to ensure compliance with regulations and protect your business interests. Here are some important legal considerations: Distinguishing Between A Hobby and A Business: According to the IRS, engaging in online selling with the intent of making a profit makes it as a business endeavor, not a hobby . Which means individuals are required to report their income earned from online sales to the IRS. It is important that you treat online ventures with a business-oriented mindset. Apply For Sales Tax Permit If It Applies As a retailer, you may be required to collect sales taxes on behalf of your State Revenue Office if your State imposes a sales tax. The Sales Tax ID Will Serve Two Purposes: 1. Permission To Collect Sales Taxes The Sales Tax ID gives the seller of retail products the right or permission to collect sales taxes from their customers on behalf of the government. Depending on your state tax requirements you maybe required to remit the sales tax to the state revenue office monthly or semi-annually . 2. Sales Tax Exemption With a sales tax permit you can purchase products or supplies from a wholesaler or in some cases a retailer and not have to pay sales tax, as long as the products or finished product is intended for resale to the general public. How to Apply For A Sales Tax ID: Contact your State Revenue Office for more information on the sales tax permit or re-sellers certificate requirements for online sellers. Intellectual Property Protection: Protect your brand, products, and content by securing trademarks, copyrights, and patents as necessary. Trademark registration is particularly important for protecting your business name, logo, and other branding elements. E-commerce Compliance: Ensure compliance with e-commerce regulations, such as consumer protection laws, data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR in Europe, CCPA in California), and complying with consumer protection laws related to refunds, warranties, and product safety, are essential for avoiding legal issues. Regulatory Compliance: Depending on your industry and the nature of your products or services, you may need to comply with industry-specific regulations and standards. For example, businesses selling food, cosmetics, or health-related products may need to adhere to FDA regulations, while financial services businesses must comply with banking and securities laws. Legal Consultation: This are just a few quick start requirements other requirements will depend on what you are selling online, consider consulting with legal professionals, such as business attorneys or specialized e-commerce lawyers, to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations and to protect your business from legal risks. By addressing these legal requirements upfront, you can establish a strong legal foundation for your online business and minimize the risk of legal disputes or regulatory penalties down the road. Getting Started: Identify Your Niche: Determine what products or services you want to sell online. Consider your interests, expertise, market demand, and competition. Market Research: Research your target audience, their needs, preferences, and purchasing behavior. Identify gaps in the market that your business can fill. Business Plan: Create a detailed business plan outlining your goals, target market, pricing strategy, marketing plan, and financial projections. A solid plan will guide your decisions and attract investors if needed. Register Your Business: Choose a business name and register it with the appropriate authorities. Decide on the legal structure of your business (e.g., sole proprietorship, LLC) and obtain any necessary permits or licenses. Set Up Your Online Store: Selling online involves several key steps to effectively reach customers and generate sales. Choose Your Sales Platform: Decide where you want to sell your products online. Online Marketplace: Online E-commerce Platforms such as Etsy, Amazon and eBay, offer low startup cost, each provide a ready-made marketplace where you can list your products quickly and easily. Over time the fees quickly add up and deplete the profits. There is an advantage to setting up your own ecommerce site. Setting Up Your Own Store There many different ways to setup your own online e-commerce site. My favorite is WordPress WooCommerce, WooCommerce offers several advantages over using an online marketplace. With WordPress WooCommerce, you have full control over your store's design, branding, and functionality, allowing you to create a unique and customized shopping experience for your customers. You can tailor your store's layout, features, and content to reflect your brand identity and business goals. Additionally, having your own store enables you to build direct relationships with your customers, collect customer data, and retain full control over pricing, promotions, and policies. This independence provides greater flexibility and scalability for your business, empowering you to adapt to changing market trends and scale your operations according to your needs. The cost of setting up a online store with WordPress WooCommerce is far cheaper than using Shopify or SquareSpace. Social Media: Selling on social Media Platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Instagram Shops, or Pinterest allow you to sell directly to your followers. Customize your store to reflect your brand identity and optimize your product listings with high-quality images, detailed descriptions, and competitive pricing. Set Up Payment Processing: Choose a payment gateway to accept online payments securely. Most e-commerce platforms offer built-in payment processing options, or you can integrate third-party payment processors like PayPal, Stripe, or Square. Optimize Your Listing For Search Engines (SEO): Use relevant keywords in your product titles, descriptions, and tags to improve your visibility in search engine results. This will help potential customers find your products when they search online. Promote Your Products: Drive traffic to your online store or listings through various marketing channels, including: - Social Media Marketing: Share product photos, videos, and promotions on social media platforms to reach a wider audience. - Email Marketing: Build an email list of subscribers and send targeted email campaigns to promote your products and special offers. Provide Excellent Customer Service: Offer responsive customer support to address inquiries, resolve issues, and provide assistance throughout the purchasing process. Positive customer experiences can lead to repeat business and referrals. Monitor Performance and Adapt: Track your sales, website traffic, and customer behavior using analytics tools provided by your chosen platform. Use this data to evaluate your performance, identify areas for improvement, and adjust your strategies accordingly. By following these steps and continuously refining your approach, you can effectively sell your products online and grow your business in the digital marketplace.
As a society, we spend an astonishing amount of money on the lottery data macau, with some experts suggesting that it's as much as $80 billion per year. And while many people consider it a harmless form of entertainment, there is an ugly underbelly to the lottery that's often overlooked: It makes people poorer. We've all dreamed about what we would do if we won the lottery — spending sprees, luxury vacations, houses, cars and so on. But the truth is that winning the lottery can be a hugely depressing experience, and the money you win quickly goes down the drain in taxes and spending. It can even wreak havoc on family relationships. Lotteries were first recorded in Europe around the 16th century, but it wasn't until the mid-17th century that a large number of countries began to organize regular public lotteries in order to raise funds for everything from building town fortifications to aiding the poor. It was during this time that the term "lottery" was first used to refer to a process of selecting numbers and prizes based on chance. In the immediate post-World War II period, states were eager to expand their range of services and, as a result, began to look at lotteries as a painless way to collect revenue without having to raise taxes on the general population. And indeed, for a long while, lotteries did provide a very helpful source of revenue. But this arrangement eventually ran into some major problems. As state governments became increasingly dependent on lottery revenues to fund their programs, the quality of those programs suffered and the political climate began to change. Today, lottery advertising focuses on two main messages — promoting the excitement of winning and making the prize money seem really big. This strategy obscures the regressive nature of the lottery and makes it difficult to take seriously the countless studies showing how much playing can actually hurt you. It's also important to remember that, as a gambling activity, the lottery is inherently addictive. There is an inextricable human urge to gamble, and that's especially true when you see the enormous jackpot amounts advertised on billboards alongside the highway. The lottery also offers a false promise of instant riches in a world of growing inequality and limited social mobility. For these reasons, we encourage you to think carefully before buying a ticket and to use any money that you might have spent on a ticket to build up an emergency fund or pay down debt instead.
Important Target Year of Government Of India: Hello everyone! Here's a list of important target years set by the Government of India. This information is crucial for upcoming government exams such as SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, RRB NTPC, UPSC, CDS, and all state PSC exams. Let's take a look at the year-wise targets set by the Indian government. Last Update: March 2024 Important Target Year of Government of India - Recently, the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has set a target of 332 million tonnes of production of foodgrains for the year 2023-24. - The Centre has decided to extend the deadline for the flagship Smart Cities Mission, which involves the development of 100 cities into smart cities to June 2024. - RBI January 2023 Bulletin: RBI to Direct Inflation Toward a 4% Target by 2024. - Gaganyaan: India's 1st Atmanirbhar human space flight to be launched by 2024 - India's first human spaceflight, Mission Gaganyaan is targeted for launch in the fourth quarter of 2024. - India is planning to achieve a USD 250 billion maritime economy - The Indian Railways will run 100% on electricity. - The government of India has set a target to reduce road accident deaths by 50% by 2024. - The Union government has extended the deadline for the EV promotion scheme FAME-II till 2024. - The rice made available under every government program in India will be fortified by 2024. - Six lakh villages in the country will get internet connectivity under the Bharat Net program by 2024. - India aims to attain self-sufficiency in the coal sector by 2024. - It has set a target to achieve 1 Billion Tonnes of Coal by 2023-24. - The Government of India targets defense exports worth $5 billion by 2024. - Himachal Pradesh Targets to be 1st 'Green Energy State' by 2025. - India is to be covered by the Doppler Weather Radar Network by 2025 stated by Union Minister Jitendra Singh. - Indian Railways will build 100 Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals by the end of 2025 under the Gati Shakti Cargo Terminal (GCT) policy. (2022-23, 2023-24 & 2024-25) - India has set a target of ending tuberculosis. (Under Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan) - Doubling Milk Processing capacity. - The Union Government has set a target to increase the number of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJK) to 10,500. - The Union Government is aiming to increase fisheries exports to Rs/- 1 trillion by 2025. - The government of India has set a target of 20% blending of fuel-grade ethanol with petrol by 2025. (It was earlier decided to meet this target by 2030) - The government set the target of building 220 airports across India by the end of 2025. - The center has amended the National Biofuel Policy-2018 for ethanol blending in petrol to 20%, from 2030 to 2025. - The government of India has set a target of 15% blending of fuel-grade ethanol with petrol by 2026 - The Indian railways are preparing to become primarily a major exporter of the Vande Bharat trains by 2026, primarily to markets in countries in Europe, South America, and East Asia. - India is committed to eliminating Lymphatic Filariasis by 2027. - India aims to eradicate leprosy under the National Leprosy Eradication Programme by the year 2027. - According to the recent SBI Ecowrap report by the State Bank of India, India is projected to become the world's third-largest economy by the financial year 2028. - ISRO Chairman S. Somanath announced the launch of India's first module of the international space station, Bharatiya Antariksha Station, slated for 2028. - Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has stated that the central government aims to reduce road accident deaths by 50% by the year 2030. - The government of India has set a target of USD 100 billion worth of textile exports (annually) by 2030. - The central government has set a target of increasing the share of natural gas in the energy mix to 15% by 2030. - India has set a target of producing 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030 under the National Hydrogen Mission. - Indian Railways will become a net-zero carbon emitter. - Child Marriage free Odisha by Odisha govt. - India is working to achieve zero road accident fatalities. - Indian Railway's energy consumption is set to become more than 33 billion units. - India aims for 100 million tonnes (MT) of coal gasification. - India has set a target to restore 26 million hectares of degraded and deforested land, and achieve land-degradation neutrality. - India is expected to overtake China as the world's largest cooking gas, LPG residential sector market. - India has set a target of creating an additional 2.5 billion tonnes of carbon sequestration by 2030. - The government of India set a target to achieve 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030. - India has set a target to achieve a 5% blending of Biodiesel in Diesel by 2030. - By 2030, India will increase its non-fossil capacity to 500 GW. - By 2030, India will fulfill 50 percent of its energy requirements with renewable energy. - India will reduce one billion tonnes of the total projected carbon emission between now and 2030. - By 2030, India will reduce its economy's carbon intensity to less than 45%. - On World Rabies Day, the National action plan for dog-mediated rabies elimination has been released to eliminate Rabies by 2030. - As informed by Union Minister Jitendra Singh, India's nuclear capacity will reach 22,480 MW by 2031. - PM Modi directed ISRO to establish an indigenous space station. - India aims to land an astronaut on the moon as part of a significant space exploration goal. - A plan was announced that aims to make Mathura-Brindaban a "net zero carbon emission" tourist destination by 2041. - Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a target of becoming 'energy independence' by 2047. - As per the latest Reserve Bank of India monthly bulletin, India's real GDP needs to grow at an annual rate of 7.6% over the next 25 years to achieve developed economy status by 2047. - More than 1 crore people have been screened for Sickle Cell Disease under the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission. The mission targets the elimination of sickle cell anemia from India by the year 2047. - United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization adopted an "aspirational goal" of reaching "net zero" emissions by 2050. - Recently, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has announced to achieve a net zero target by 2050. - India set a target to achieve 'Net Zero, Carbon Emissions' by 2070. - The government of Jharkhand also released a Vision Document to Achieve 2070 Net Zero Target. - According to a recent report by Goldman Sachs, India is projected to become the world's second-largest economy by 2075. More National Affairs for You: Museum in News, Top One-liners, Current Affairs [2024]: Month-wise List Major Projects in News, Latest Current Affairs [2024]: Month-wise List West Bengal Current Affairs 2024: WB in News Latest Current Affairs
The paper presents the descriptions of four new taxa: Plebejus eversmanni geminus ssp. nova from Tian-Shan (Suusamyr Mts.), P. eversmanni campulus ssp. nova from the East Pamirs, Polyommatus icarus lacuina ssp. nova (Mongolia, Mongolian Altai, Sutai Uul Mt.) and Polyommatus icarus incoronatus ssp. nova (Mongolia, Mongolian Altai, southern slopes, Mogoin-Gol r.). doi: 10.5281/zenodo.10862574 Corresponding author: Sergei V. Churkin (email@example.com) Academic editor: R. Yakovlev \| Received 30 January 2024 \| Accepted 20 March 2024 \| Published 25 March 2024 Citation: Churkin SV, Bogdanov PV (2024) New taxa of Plebejus eversmanni (Lang, 1884) and Polyommatus icarus (Rottemburg, 1775) (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae). Acta Biologica Sibirica 10: 55–68. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10862574 Blues, zoogeography, Kyrgyzstan, Tadjikistan, taxonomy, Mongolia, Mongolian Altai, Pamirs, Suusamyr, new subspecies Two articles were published in the "Proceedings of the State Darwin Museum. Volume XVI" (published in 2023): "Two new subspecies of Polyommatus icarus (Rottemburg, 1775) from Mongolia (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae)" and "Short review of Plebejus eversmanni (Lang, 1884) with the description of two new subspecies (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae)" (Churkin & Bogdanov 2023a, 2003b). The second author of the articles, the chief keeper of the State Darwin Museum P.V. Bogdanov has died before the publication, and the volume XVI as a whole was dedicated to his memory. Both articles are available on the internet, address is https://www.darwinmuseum.ru/docs/doc_works%202023%20XXVI.pdf. Unfortunately, this volume was not published in paper, thus the taxonomic acts published in the above mentioned articles are not valid according to the Amendment of Articles 8, 9, 10, 21 and 78 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature to expand and refine methods of publication (ICZN, 2012). The present article is prepared in order to make new names and taxonomic acts valid. The generic taxonomy is out of the limits of the present paper. Materials and methods The adults were photographed using Canon 5DII with Sigma-50 Macro. For wing venation, the Comstock-Needham nomenclature adopted for butterflies (Miller 1970) was used. The present study is based upon the collections of the following institutions: State Darwin Museum (SDM, Moscow), The Museum of Natural History St. Alexis Hermitage (MSAH, Yaroslavl reg.), collections of the authors, K. Kolesnichenko (Moscow), V. Tuzov (Moscow), P. Beda (Ljubertzy, Moscow reg.). Abbreviations: FW – forewings; HW – hindwings; m – m. a. s.l., metres above sea level. 1. Plebejus eversmanni campulus ssp. nova http://zoobank.org/99DC6E8F-E6B1-4B69-9A4C-C4A855DDA289 Figs 1–2: 1, 2, 3, 4 Holotype: male, Tadjikistan, East Pamirs, Western part of Sarykol Range, Dunkeldyk lake, 4100 m. a. s.l., 20−30.07.1996, A. Sochivko leg. Paratypes: 3 males, 3 females, same data, A. Sochivko leg.; 5 males, 3 females, Tadjikistan, E. Pamirs, Ak-Bura r., 4100−4300 m, 16.07.2005, A. Zhdanko leg.; 1 male, same loc., 29.07.1995, A. Zhdanko leg.; 1 male, Tadjikistan, E. Pamirs, Chechekty, 4200 m., 19−22.07.1999, Yu. Vasilchenko leg.; 1 female, Tadjikistan, E. Pamirs, 40 km SW Murgab, Shakhtasai r., 4200 m, 28.07.2000, V. Neforosnyi leg.; 1 male, Tadjikistan, E. Pamirs, Dzhangi-Davan Pass, 4300 m, 20.07.1986, V. Ganson leg.; 1 male, Tadjikistan, E. Pamirs, Chechekty, Muzkol, 28.07.1966, А. Kuzyakin leg. Holotype and paratype are deposited in the collection of the State Darwin Museum (Moscow), paratypes are in the collections of S. Churkin, P. Beda (Lyubertzy, Russia) and the Museum of Natural History St. Alexis Hermitage. Description. Holotype FW length is 14 mm, male paratypes 13.5−15.3 mm, female paratypes 13.5−16 mm. Male. Antennae, palpi, body and fringes colouration and hairs seem to have no taxonomically valuable characters. FW upperside blackish but mainly or fully covered by not dense but obvious blue scales. Discal spot obvious. FW also with blue scales (except costal area) and expressed submarginal pattern consists of 3–4 black spots in bluish aureoles, margins and veins' ends blackish. Underside gray with thick whitish rings around the spots. FW postdiscal series with large and as a rule not extended/enlarged spots, submarginal pattern only slightly obvious. HW spots small, partly reduced (not always but often), discal spot thin with thick white aureole sharply extended towards the margin, submarginal spots small, separated, not bright, lunules usually yellowish, metallic scales often absent. Genitalia similar to grumi, the detailed investigation of the geographical variability did not lead to taxonomically valuable results. Female similar to male, but darker, blackish with blue basal spots, these spots moderately big and sometimes covers half of the wing. Underside submarginal pattern more developed, lunules often orange and bigger than in males, but all spots separated from each other. Diagnosis. New subspecies sharply differs from neighbouring badachshanus Forster, 1972 (Figs 1−2: 15) by bluish wings, small size and partly reduced underside pattern. New taxon relates with Transalajan ssp. grumi (Staudinger, 1901) (Figs 1−2: 14) without any doubts presenting smaller and reduced variant. If it would be only the highland form of badachshanus, the status of the taxon will be not so evident. Etymology. Campulus (Lat.) – piece of land, deminutivum from campus. Bionomics and distribution. Inhabits stony meadows among high mountain deserts. Very local. The food plant is unknown. Apparently endemic to the Eastern Pamirs. 2. Plebejus eversmanni geminus ssp. nova http://zoobank.org/27984FF1-5CA1-472F-A15F-3466F3E57F6B Figs 1–2: 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11 Holotype: male, Kyrgyzstan, Tian-Shan, Suusamyr Mts., Kekemeren r., 5 km N Kyzyl-Oi v., 1800−2000 m. a. s.l., 24−29.06.2000, S. Churkin leg. Paratypes: 1 male, 2 females, same data, S. Churkin & V. Pletnev leg.; 1 female, same loc, 19−20.06.2001, S. Churkin leg.; 2 males, 4 females, same loc., 2400−2800 m, 20−21.07.2006, S. Churkin leg.; 2 males, 1 female, same loc., 2200 m, 15.07.2004, A. Irtlach leg., 5 males, 1 female, Kekemeren r., 5 km SW Aral v., 28.06.2001, 1450 m, S. Churkin; 1 male, Kyrgyzstan, Talassky Alatau (southern sl.), 45 km Alabel pass, 2300−2400 m, 23.06.2000, S. Churkin leg.; 2 males, Kyrgyzstan, Chatkal Mts. (SE sl.), Kassan-Sai r., 1400 m, 10.06.2001, S. Churkin & A. Zhdanko leg.; 1 male, same loc., 6-7.06.2001, S. Churkin leg.; 1 male, 1 female, Chatkal Mts. (SE sl.), Kazdzha-Ata r., Pyasty-Say, 1200−1400 m, 21.06.2012, S. Churkin leg.; 4 males, 3 females, Chatkal Mts. (SE sl.), Uspenovka v., 1300−1400 m, 29.06.2012, S. Churkin &V. Pletnev leg.; 3 males, South Chatkal Mts., 10 km SE Sumsar v., 8−9.06.2000, 1400 m, 21.06.2012, A. Klimenko leg.; 1 male, same loc., 12.06.1996, 800 м (??!), A. Klimenko leg.; 1 male, 1 female, same loc., 27.06.2012, 1200 m, S. Churkin leg.; 1 male, 1 female, Kyrgyzstan, Talassky Alatau, Kara-Buura pass, 1600 m, 1−2.07.1999, K. Kolesnichenko leg.; 1 male, 2 females, Kyrgyzstan, N Fergansky Mts., SE Toktogul res., Sargata v., Ortok-Too range, 1100 m, 14.06.2000, S. Churkin leg.; 3 females, N Fergansky Mts., 15 km SE Karakul v., 1300-1400 m, 14.06.2000, S. Churkin leg.; 2 males, 1 female, N Fergansky Mts., Isfan-Dzhailo range, 5 km SE Karakul v., 1350- 1450 m, 20.06.2000, S. Churkin leg.; 2 males, 1 female, N Fergansky Mts., 5 km SE Karakul v., 1300 m, 17.06.2000, S. Churkin leg.; 1 female, N Fergansky Mts., Karakul vic., 1300 m, 26.06.2007, S. Churkin leg.; 2 males, N Fergansky Mts., Karasy lake, Tokhtalyk range, 16.06.2000, 1400-1600 m, 16.06.2000, S. Churkin leg.; 1 female, Kyrgyzstan, Toktogul lake, 10 km SE Sargata v. Kochkor-Tebe Mts., 20.06.2008, 1350-1500 m, S. Churkin leg.; 1 male, Kyrgyzstan, Sarykamysh range, Kokemeren r., 5 km W Tabylgaty v.,1400 m, 22.06.2006, S. Churkin leg. Holotype is deposited in the collection of the State Darwin Museum (Moscow), paratypes are in the collections of the authors and the Museum of Natural History St. Alexis Hermitage. Description. Holotype FW length 16 mm, male paratypes 12.5−16 mm (14−15 mm, as a rule), female paratypes 13−16.5 mm (as a rule, 14−15.5 mm). Male. Antennae, palpi, body and fringes colouration and hairs seem to have no taxonomically valuable characters. The general shape of the butterflies recalls extended rectangular. Upperside darkened with not bright but moderately dense violet-blue scales covering all wing but more expressed on the basal part. Specimens from the lowlands often paler, colour bluish and less dense. Discal spots obvious. HW upperside with developed series of submarginal black spots (4–5 as usually) in bluish aureoles, margin and veins' ends blackened. Underside as a whole lightened gray with sharp blackish spots, whitish rings not so expressed, diffuse. Rarely the underside colour darker and white rings more developed. FW underside with expressed thin submarginal pattern, postdiscal series with enlarged spots – at least some of them (3, 5 and usually 6) have sharply extended shape. Sometimes all spots extended, pattern as a whole looks unusual. Discal spot thick. HW underside: two basal spots, postdiscal series full, submarginal spots practically not separated from each other forming united band, orange lunules thick. Metallic scales obvious in 2−3 spots as usually. Bluish basal suffusion usually not obvious, being not dense and developed only in very narrow area near the wing base. One male is generally blackish, the underside is darkened also but the FW postdiscal spots are typically extended. Genitalia: not identical to grumi and badachshanus but variability contradict efforts to treat valuable characters. Female similar to male (including general wings shape), upperside darkened with small violet-blue basal spots (rarely absent or more developed), submarginal pattern on the HW uppersides expressed, sometimes with orange unclear scales. HW underside with smaller spots comparing with males, submarginal orange lunules brigher and larger – so, that all spots fully united on one orange band, as a rule. Basal suffusion practically absent. Female genitalia not studied. Diagnosis. New subspecies slightly recalls highland forms of nominate subspecies (Figs 1−2: 13) (which areal does not bordered with the areal of new taxon). The size of the butterflies widely varies, but abruptly smaller than in ssp. tatjana Churkin & Pletnev, 2017 и ssp. grumi. General shape is rectangular, quite different from the quadratic shape of tatjana. Bluish upperside similar to that of grumi but HW underside with expressed submarginal band while postdiscal spots on the FW underside are unusually enlarged and extended. The latter character sometimes (but uncommonly) is registered in Darvasian populations of grumi or at south Ghissar, i. e. in the opposite part of the species areal. In geminus-population this character is dominant and easy differs new taxon from each other together with the united submarginal band on the hindwing underside (especially the females). The tendency to reduce both important characters is registered in the lowland populations. Etymology. Geminus (Lat.) – related to twins, double, dual. Bionomics and distribution. Low and mid mountain dry meadows, does not rise high, in good conditions the wing length reaches 16 mm, but this is the largest size, despite many years of searching. Very local and, as a rule, not numerous – which is easy to detect, studying the list of type series collected over many years and representing collected in single copies or small series. Inhabits West and Inner Tian-Shan. The most difficult situation is revealed in Alai. We have at our disposal a small series (3 males and 4 females), collected by A. Petrov in June 1998 in the town of Chauvai, 20 km southward Kyzyl-Kia v., Isfaram-say r., 1700 m. (Figs 1−2: 11−12). These butterflies are very similar to ssp. geminus, especially those collected in the foothills of Chatkal near Sumsar. The similarity looks paradoxical: the mountains between two loci are occupied by the area of a sharply different ssp. tatjana. It is obvious that in the recent past, during the glaciations, some species had a simple way of genetic exchange along the edges of the valley; some of their habitats were circular. Currently, such exchange does not exist (or is extremely difficult), which led to the breaking of chains and the complicated areal the tianshanian subspecies, once represented in the Northern Alai. We cannot exclude that geminus presents bona species, in which case the population from Isfaram-say may have gradually dissolved lives among real eversmanni. Perhaps mDNA research can solve this problem. 3. Polyommatus icarus lacuina ssp. nova http://zoobank.org/E1A53ED3-09B7-48EC-9B1B-0BA16EC516CD Figs 3–4: 1−4 Holotype: male, SW Mongolia, Khovd aimak, Sutai Uul (NW sl.), 1750 m, 9.07.2003, S. Churkin leg. (46°52ʹ28ʹʹN; 93°16ʹ56ʹʹE). Paratypes: 6 males, 4 females, same data, S. Churkin, V. Pletnev leg.; 3 males, same place, 2000 m, 10.07.2004, S. Churkin leg.; 1 female, same place, 2300−2400 m, 11.07.2003, S. Churkin leg. Holotype is deposited in the collection of the Darwin State Museum (Moscow), paratypes are in the collections of the authors and the Museum of Natural History St. Alexis Hermitage. Description. Holotype FW length 15.1 mm, males paratypes 14-17 mm (14.5−15 mm, as a rule, one male – 17.8 mm), females paratypes 15−16 mm. Male. Antennae with colouration typical for species, palpi bluish-white with dark hairs and blackened ends. Upperside colour violet-blue but not dense and deep, washy, similar to ssp. czabokyi. One male more shining bluish, another more shining violet. Wings with thin blackish marginal line but without black dots, veins are not blackened, rarely with indistinctive darkening at the very ends. Fringes whitish. Wings shape varies from rounded to moderately sharp. Underside whitish light-gray. FW underside: 2 basal spots, discal spot, full curved row of postdiscal spots, submarginal pattern is reduced and only slightly obvious, as a rule. HW underside: basal row includes 3 spots, discal spot thin with distinctive white aureole, postdiscal row complete, size of spots practically the same as on FW. Submarginal pattern consists of disjoined yellowish lunules internally outlined by short V-shaped thin blackish lines and externally by thin simple blackish lines situated along the margin between the veins. Rarely lunules not deep orange, rarely reduced. Median white touch slightly obvious. Basal suffusion bluish, moderately dense and covered basal spots. Genitalia. Similar to that of czabokyi. The detailed study of the genitalia is possible only in review of the complex that is outside of the paper limits. Female. FW upperside brown with bluish or/and lightened scales, basal zone bluish and often extends to submarginal zone. Fully blue form not known (but must be present), fully dark brown form is absent too. Discal spot well obvious, sometimes with whitish aureole, in this case even the apex with whitish scales. Submarginal pattern obvious and consists of several orange spots, the darkest form with obvious series of deep black submarginal spots. Fringes whitish, darkest female have brownish inner part. HW upperside have similar colouration but bluish colour not so developed at the base, the unclear blush spot often extends along the anal-cubital zone. Submarginal pattern developed and consists of several bluish-orange-black spots. Underside as in male, but darker and grayish. HW often darker and slightly brownish, whitish aureoles around the spots more distinctive. FW underside pattern developed not less than in males, submarginal pattern consists of several orange spots. HW underside pattern with reduced postdiscal spots definitely smaller than on FW while submarginal spots bigger and lighter, lunules usually orange, but not contrasting reddish-orange. Median white touch more expressed comparing with males. Basal bluish suffusion as in males. Female genitalia not studied. Diagnosis. The areal of the new taxon is connected with areals of ssp. czabokyi Bálint, 1990 (Figs 3−4: 5−8) and ssp. korshunovi Gorbunov, 1995 (Figs 3−4: 13−15). The upperside colour is very similar to that of czabokyi being paler and less violet than in korshunovi. Underside has intermediate characters between czabokyi and korshunovi: first taxon has this pattern reduced, black dots are small or absent, while in second taxon the pattern is normally developed but not enlarged or fused. New subspecies has this pattern more or less developed but FW submarginal spots are always moderately reduced (but females are often have orange spots in this area). The females of czabokyi and lacuina are characterized by the obvious reducing of the postdical row on the HW underside, while submarginal spots are expressed. The females of korshunovi have developed postdiscal HW spots which are only slightly smaller than on FW. The typical for the species dark-brown females present vast majority among korshunovi-populations (but these forms often have expressed upperside submarginal pattern which is rare in Altajan or Siberian icarus). The females of czabokyi demonstrates fantastic variability of nice light forms with complex bluish-light- brown colouration, the fully-light form is abundant, while the true dark-brown females are practically absent. The females of new taxon much close to the later variant being darker, not so paler, the bluish form is not known, the brownish form is not so rare but not deeply dark as it is usually for the species. Thus, new subspecies demonstrates complexity of the different characters. From nominate subspecies and P. i. fuchsi (Sheljuzhko, 1928) it can be easily differs because of paler colour and reducing underside pattern which never forms joined submarginal band with deeply V-shaped inner blackish lines. Etymology. Lacuina (Lat.) – lake, pond, which connects the taxon with the Great Lakes Basin, along the edges of which it lives. Bionomics and distribution. Inhabits a river valley in the northwestern macroslope of the Sutai Uul massif, where it is not numerous and local. Food plant is unknown. Two generations per year are possible. This biotope is typical for korshunovi in southern Tuva. 4. Polyommatus icarus incoronatus ssp. nova http://zoobank.org/5B9749E9-5007-4555-9E03-7D4697087B6E Figs 3–4: 9−12 Holotype: male, SW Mongolia, Govi-Altai aimak, Mongolian Altai (southern slopes), Mogoin-gol r., 2000−2400 m, 16−18.06.2004, Churkin S. leg. Paratypes: 5 male, 1 female, same data, Churkin S. & Chastilov S. leg., 3 males, 2 females, same loc., 8.07.2004, S. Churkin leg. Holotype is deposited in the collection of the Darwin State Museum (Moscow), paratypes are in the collections of the authors and the Museum of Natural History St. Alexis Hermitage. Description. Holotype FW length is 16.5 mm, males paratypes 15.2−17.6 mm (16.3−16.7 mm, as a rule), females paratypes 16.5−18.6 mm (one bluish female – 16.5, all other more than 17 mm). Male. Antennae with colouration typical for species, palpi bluish-white with dark hairs and blackened ends. Upperside colour violet-blue, more dense than in czabokyi and recalls korshunovi. Distinctively larger than other discussed taxa. Wings with thin blackish marginal line, have no black dots, veins ends darkened for 2 mm and more from margin. Fringes whitish with darkened inner part. General wing shape varies but looks slightly widened comparing with neighbouring subspecies. Underside whitish light-gray. FW underside: 2 basal spots, discal spot, full curved row of postdiscal spots, submarginal pattern developed. HW underside: basal row includes 3 spots, discal spot large and deep with white aureole, postdiscal row complete, its spots with not contrasting whitish aureoles, size of spots practically the same as on FW. Submarginal spots joined or nearly joined all together forming one band, especially shortly v-shaped inner lines; lunules large and yellowish, rarely orange-yellowish, marginal lines thick and short recalling extended dots. Basal bluish suffusion dense, moderately narrow, comparing with relatives. Median white touch only slightly obvious. Underside pattern rarely moderately reduced recalls ssp. lacuina and rarely underside colour darkened so that submarginal spots enlarged and extended (recalls nominate subspecies). Genitalia not fully identical with czabokyi and korshunovi, but detailed analysis is wanting. Female often bigger than males, that is uncommon. Two forms: totally brownish with developed bluish submarginal spots on HW – and violet, with typical for species pattern. The intermediate forms or light/pale forms are not known. Violet form exactly deeply violet-blue, not true bluish. Fringes darkened in inner part. Underside as in males, but darker, brownish with light-gray areas, HW pattern fully developed, all spots large, thick, with expressed white aureoles. Lunules enlarged, orange or orange-yellowish (but not reddish orange or deep orange). Basal bluish suffusion often reduced and very narrow especially comparing with males and especially in dark forms. Female genitalia not studied. Diagnosis. New taxon recalls Polyommatus icadius Grum-Grshimaïlo, 1890, but only because of large size. It differs from czabokyi and lacuina by the deeper and violet upperside colouration of the males, and absence of the abundant pale bluish female forms being similar to korshunovi (which areal is disjoined with a distance of several hundred kilometers). In addition, the underside pattern is fully developed and thick, the colour of the bluish females is violet-bluish, but not light-bluish as it is normal for czabokyi. Basal suffusion is reduced but the value of this character needs in confirmation and further investigations. The representatives of nominate subspecies known from Altai and Sayan differs by the smaller size, more angled apex, brighter and deeper submarginal pattern, the submarginal spots often have stretched V-shaped inner segments. P. i. fuchsi (Sheljuzhko, 1928) has no any physical connection with new subspecies, and differs by the darker underside with fully joined submarginal band. Etymology. Incoronatus (Lat.) – uncrowned, without a wreath. Bionomics and distribution. Deserted river valley in the southern spurs of Mongolian Altai, bordering the Dzungarian Gobi. Butterflies flies together with Hyponephele lycaon dmitrievae Yakovlev, 2012, Melitaea danae Churkin & Kolesnichenko, 2005, Melitaea cinxia mogoin Churkin & Kolesnichenko, 2005. Food plant is unknown. Very local. The areal may extends from Dzhungarian Gobi to Transaltajan Gobi and further to the east. The authors express their sincere gratitude to Ts. Odbayar (Ulaanbaatar), V. Tuzov (Moscow), K. Kolesnichenko (Moscow), A. Krupitsky (Moscow) for their assistance in the work. Many thanks to V. Pletnev for the color tables he made. Churkin SV, Bogdanov PV (2023a) Short review of Plebejus eversmanni (Lang, 1884) with the description of two new subspecies (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae). Proceedings of the State Darwin Museum XVI: 12–29, 2 cpls. Churkin SV, Bogdanov PV (2023b) Two new subspecies of Polyommatus icarus (Rottemburg, 1775) from Mongolia (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae). Proceedings of the State Darwin Museum XVI: 30–47, 2 cpls. International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (2012) Amendment of Articles 8, 9, 10, 21 and 78 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature to expand and refine methods of publication. Zootaxa 3450: 1–7. Miller LD [1970] Nomenclature of wing veins and cells. Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera 8 (2): 37–48.
The Zika virus, a mosquito-borne flavivirus, garnered significant global attention due to its rapid spread and association with serious health complications, particularly among pregnant women. Here's a comprehensive overview of what you need to know about the Zika virus: Comprehensive Guide to Fire Extinguishers15 hours ago Topical Corticosteroids: Uses and Considerations16 hours ago Kitchen Safety for Kids16 hours ago Virology and Transmission: The Zika virus belongs to the Flaviviridae family and is primarily transmitted to humans through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes, particularly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. These mosquitoes are also responsible for transmitting other viruses such as dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever. Additionally, Zika virus transmission can occur through sexual contact, blood transfusion, and from mother to fetus during pregnancy or childbirth. Geographical Distribution: Zika virus was first identified in 1947 in the Zika Forest of Uganda. However, it remained relatively obscure until outbreaks occurred in the Pacific Islands in 2007 and 2013. The virus gained global attention during the large outbreak in the Americas, particularly in Brazil, in 2015–2016. Since then, Zika virus has been reported in numerous countries and territories across the Americas, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. Symptoms and Complications: Many individuals infected with Zika virus may remain asymptomatic or experience only mild, self-limiting symptoms including fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). However, the virus gained notoriety due to its association with severe neurological complications, particularly microcephaly in newborns, a condition characterized by abnormally small head size and potential developmental issues. Other neurological disorders such as Guillain-Barré syndrome (a rare autoimmune disorder affecting the nervous system) have also been linked to Zika virus infection. Diagnosis and Treatment: Diagnosing Zika virus infection can be challenging due to its similarity to other mosquito-borne illnesses such as dengue and chikungunya. Laboratory tests, including PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and serological assays, are used to confirm infection. Currently, there is no specific antiviral treatment for Zika virus infection. Treatment primarily focuses on alleviating symptoms such as fever and pain. Patients are advised to rest, stay hydrated, and take over-the-counter pain relievers as needed. Prevention and Control: Preventing Zika virus transmission relies heavily on vector control measures to reduce mosquito populations, including eliminating standing water where mosquitoes breed, using insect repellents, wearing protective clothing, and employing mosquito nets, screens, and indoor spraying. Additionally, efforts to prevent sexual transmission include practicing safe sex or abstaining from sexual activity, especially for individuals residing in or traveling to areas with active Zika virus transmission. Pregnant women are advised to avoid travel to areas with Zika virus risk. Research and Vaccine Development: In response to the Zika virus outbreak, extensive research efforts were initiated to better understand the virus, its transmission dynamics, and its impact on human health. Vaccine development became a priority, with several candidates progressing to clinical trials. However, as of the latest available information, no licensed vaccine against Zika virus is currently available. Research continues to explore potential vaccine candidates and strategies for controlling Zika virus transmission. Public Health Response: The Zika virus outbreak prompted robust public health responses at local, national, and international levels. Health authorities implemented surveillance systems to monitor Zika virus transmission, disseminated information to the public regarding preventive measures, and mobilized resources for mosquito control and healthcare services. Collaboration among researchers, public health agencies, governments, and international organizations facilitated the sharing of data, expertise, and resources to address the Zika virus threat. Global Impact and Lessons Learned: The Zika virus outbreak highlighted the interconnected nature of global health security and the importance of preparedness and rapid response to emerging infectious diseases. It underscored the need for enhanced surveillance, research, and public health infrastructure to detect, prevent, and control outbreaks. The experience with Zika virus also emphasized the complexities of vector-borne disease control and the importance of interdisciplinary approaches integrating public health, environmental management, and community engagement. Future Outlook: While the intensity of the Zika virus epidemic has waned in some regions, the threat of re-emergence remains, particularly in areas where competent mosquito vectors are present. Continued vigilance, research, and investment in prevention and control measures are essential to mitigate the risk of future Zika virus outbreaks and to protect vulnerable populations, including pregnant women and their offspring, from the potentially devastating consequences of Zika virus infection. In conclusion, the Zika virus represents a significant public health challenge with implications for global health security, reproductive health, and child development. Efforts to combat Zika virus transmission require a multifaceted approach encompassing vector control, surveillance, research, and public health interventions to minimize the impact of this emerging infectious disease on communities worldwide. More Informations Certainly! Let's delve deeper into various aspects related to the Zika virus: Virology and Genetics: The Zika virus is an RNA virus belonging to the genus Flavivirus, which also includes other notable pathogens such as West Nile virus, dengue virus, and yellow fever virus. It is a single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus with a genome of approximately 10.7 kilobases in length. The genome encodes a single polyprotein that is cleaved into three structural proteins (capsid, precursor membrane, and envelope) and seven nonstructural proteins involved in viral replication and immune evasion. Genomic analyses have revealed the existence of multiple Zika virus lineages, with the Asian lineage implicated in the recent outbreaks in the Americas. Studies investigating the genetic diversity and evolution of Zika virus strains have provided insights into viral transmission patterns, adaptation to different mosquito vectors, and potential changes in virulence and pathogenicity. Vector Biology and Transmission Dynamics: Aedes mosquitoes, particularly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, are the primary vectors responsible for transmitting Zika virus to humans. These mosquitoes are highly adaptable and thrive in urban environments, where they breed in containers holding stagnant water, such as discarded tires, flower pots, and water storage containers. Aedes mosquitoes are known for their aggressive daytime biting behavior, which increases the risk of human-mosquito contact. The transmission dynamics of Zika virus are influenced by various factors, including mosquito abundance, climate conditions, human behavior, and socioeconomic factors. Climate change and globalization have contributed to the expansion of Aedes mosquito habitats and facilitated the spread of Zika virus to new geographic areas. Understanding the ecological and environmental drivers of Zika virus transmission is crucial for implementing targeted control strategies and predicting future outbreaks. Clinical Manifestations and Pathogenesis: Zika virus infection typically manifests as a mild, self-limiting illness characterized by fever, rash, arthralgia (joint pain), myalgia (muscle pain), and conjunctivitis (red eyes). These symptoms usually resolve within a week without requiring specific medical intervention. However, severe complications can occur, particularly in pregnant women and fetuses. One of the most concerning outcomes of Zika virus infection during pregnancy is congenital Zika syndrome (CZS), which encompasses a spectrum of birth defects including microcephaly, brain abnormalities, ocular anomalies, and neurodevelopmental delays. The exact mechanisms underlying CZS remain under investigation, but it is thought to involve direct viral damage to developing fetal tissues, disruption of placental function, and maternal immune responses. Diagnostic Challenges and Laboratory Testing: Diagnosing Zika virus infection can be challenging due to the nonspecific nature of symptoms and the potential for cross-reactivity with other flaviviruses in serological assays. Laboratory confirmation of Zika virus infection relies on detecting viral RNA in blood, urine, or other clinical specimens using molecular techniques such as reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Serological assays, including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and plaque reduction neutralization tests (PRNTs), are used to detect Zika virus-specific antibodies in serum or cerebrospinal fluid samples. However, serological testing may yield false-positive or false-negative results, particularly in regions where other flaviviruses are endemic. Interpretation of laboratory results requires consideration of the timing of specimen collection relative to symptom onset and potential cross-reactivity with related viruses. Public Health Interventions and Community Engagement: Efforts to control Zika virus transmission encompass a range of public health interventions, including mosquito surveillance and control, community education and outreach, and healthcare provider training. Integrated vector management strategies involve a combination of larval source reduction, insecticide application, biological control methods, and community mobilization to reduce mosquito breeding sites and minimize human-mosquito contact. Community engagement plays a critical role in Zika virus prevention and control efforts, as individuals and communities must be actively involved in implementing preventive measures and adopting behaviors that reduce the risk of infection. Public health campaigns focus on raising awareness about Zika virus transmission, promoting personal protective measures such as using insect repellents and wearing long-sleeved clothing, and encouraging community participation in vector control activities. Ethical Considerations and Social Impacts: The Zika virus outbreak raised complex ethical considerations regarding reproductive rights, access to healthcare, and the allocation of limited resources. Concerns about the potential for Zika virus-related birth defects led to debates about abortion laws, contraception access, and reproductive health services in affected regions. Access to prenatal care and support services for families affected by CZS became paramount, highlighting disparities in healthcare infrastructure and resources. The social and economic impacts of Zika virus outbreaks extend beyond the immediate health consequences, affecting livelihoods, tourism, and global trade. Travel advisories and restrictions imposed in response to Zika virus transmission have had significant implications for tourism-dependent economies in affected regions. Stigmatization of individuals and communities affected by Zika virus, particularly pregnant women and families with children born with CZS, further compounded the social challenges associated with the outbreak. Research Gaps and Emerging Threats: Despite significant progress in understanding Zika virus biology and epidemiology, several knowledge gaps remain, particularly regarding long-term health outcomes and the potential for Zika virus re-emergence. Ongoing research efforts aim to elucidate the mechanisms of Zika virus pathogenesis, identify biomarkers of disease severity, and develop novel therapeutics and vaccines. In addition to Zika virus, other emerging arboviruses pose ongoing threats to global health security, including chikungunya virus, Rift Valley fever virus, and Mayaro virus. Climate change, urbanization, and human mobility contribute to the emergence and spread of these viruses, underscoring the need for sustained investment in surveillance, research, and preparedness to address future outbreaks. In conclusion, the Zika virus represents a multifaceted public health challenge with far-reaching implications for global health, reproductive rights, and social justice. Addressing the complex interplay of biological, environmental, and social factors driving Zika virus transmission requires a holistic approach that integrates scientific research, public health interventions, community engagement, and policy responses to protect vulnerable populations and mitigate the impact of emerging infectious diseases on society.
Tom of Finland The Darkroom Swelling muscles and genitals, extremely masculine and erotically confident men who enjoy sex together – Tom of Finland's drawings leave no-one unaffected. The photographs he took of friends and partners, to use as inspiration and reference-pictures for his world-famous homoerotic drawings, are now exhibited for the first time at Fotografiska. Curated by Berndt Arell, in cooperation with Fotografiska's exhibition producer Jessica Jarl, The Darkroom is an exciting study in artist Tom of Finland's (born Touko Laaksonen) life and work-process – something that originally took place in dark rooms. This year it's 100 years since he was born, and once again there are forces trying to relegate homosexual desire into dark closets. ta del av en ny okänd sida And it was to darkened places that gay people were referred, even the ones born late in the first half of the 1900s, since their orientation was criminalised and classified as a mental disorder. So Touko Laaksonen (1920-1991), as he was named on his birth certificate, worked for a long time both under the radar. The artist that would become world-famous under the name Tom of Finland was called Touko in his homeland by his family, his friends there called him Tom (or Tommi). Early on he started to take and develop the photographic portraits that he himself called reference-pictures, in his own darkened simple home-studio and darkroom – having them developed elsewhere would be risking a prison sentence. This is where the story of Tom of Finland starts, and now in The Darkroom 31 July-8th November at Fotografiska Stockholm we meet a new unknown side of his work, 100 years after his birth. spread like wildfire This artist, who with his grunting desire and skill positively portrayed and drew excessively masculine, attractive, confident macho-men with extreme swelling muscles and giant dicks having sex with each other – dressed in all accessories imaginable within the uniform/leather/rubber gay porn fetish – thoroughly challenged his contemporary society. At the same time, he was regarded as the hottest trend among a small group of leather gays, where he spread happiness and horniness. All this in a time when homosexuality was criminalised and classified as a mental disorder, and often had to find its places anonymously in public spaces like parks and bathhouses. Tom of Finland has, in later interviews, in his older years, described this so-called "cruising", and how the young Touko/Tom lay the foundation for his uniform-fetish by secretly meeting Finnish, German and Soviet soldiers in parks during World War II. Many of the photographs exhibited in The Darkroom show happily posing hunks from Tom's acquaintance, that functioned as inspiration and references for his drawings: drawings that got shown later in his career at somewhat hidden away galleries and that spread like wildfire when many famous gay men wanted their portraits done by this unobtrusive Finn. Sometimes they were dressed in suits, sometimes nothing at all. One example is when Tom and Robert Mapplethorpe took each other's pictures, that Tom later used to draw Mapplethorpe's portrait. "Without the photographs I don't think there would have been a Tom of Finland. With the help of his friend Wiki, he took care to bring the photographs over to TOM House in Los Angeles – the museum/gallery that, besides his own work, exhibits other homoerotic art. He also seems to have been carefully removing the nudes we know were shot in his studio, so in almost all the remaining photographs the models are dressed", says Berndt Arell, who already in the early 2000s created the first exhibition where the focus was on Tom of Finland as a visual artist rather than a pornographic illustrator. The Darkroom shows us an artist that, without being very political himself, made a big impact on his contemporary society, with his drive to zestfully portray a homoerotic macho-dream. An artist who eventually reached world-wide fame and could leave the dark rooms to live in Los Angeles half of the year, where the leather gay lifestyle happened in the open – a result of the fight and societal change to decrease oppression towards LGBTQ-people that was happening parallel to his artistic life. That he would have contributed to this development was something he was both proud of and very humble about. "He took the photographs in Los Angeles, with its great supply of attractive, well-built guys and the beautiful winter light, while the drawings more often came about in Finland, where he was still living during the summers. There is a closeness, in the images, to the ones portrayed – a sincerity in the eyes of both them and him. Two people meeting, a natural connection between them in confidence and warmth: something that doesn't come across in the drawings, which are more anonymous, fetishist images. In 1990, the last year of his life, he was awarded the "Drawer of the Year" prize in Finland: that was a big moment, and a testament to the power of his art", Arell concludes. ARTIST PAGE/Facts about Tom of Finland: Tom of Finland – Touko Laaksonen (born 1920, Sankt Karins, Finland; died 1991, Helsinki, Finland). World-famous sketch artist of homoerotic art where extremely masculine men with muscles as big as their erections, and self-confidence to spare, have sex with each other. He grew up in a Finland where homosexuality was punishable by law and classified a mental disorder far into the 1970s. Here, he secretly photographed his models as references for his drawings, which were to become cult in the underground gay culture. With increasing openness in the West, he could later live half the year in Los Angeles where gay culture was flourishing, and his art spread across the world. He studied advertising in Helsinki during the late 1930s and the early 1940s, and piano and composition at the Sibelius Academy during the later 1940s. He also worked as a pianist for restaurants and theatres in Helsinki until 1958, as an art director at McCann Helsinki 1958-1973, and as a full-time artist from 1973. Exhibitions until 1991: Solo exhibitions from 1973 in Hamburg, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Paris, New York, Berlin, Helsinki. Group exhibitions from 1978 in New York, Hollywood, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Cologne, UCLA Berkeley, Rutger State University, New Jersey, Helsinki. Exhibitions (from 1991-): Galerie Pelin, Helsinki; Institute Culturel Finlandais, Paris 1999; Helsinki Art Museum 2006; Åbo, cultural capital of Europe 2011; Kulturhuset, Stockholm 2012; MOCA 2013, New York, Artists Space 2015; Helsinki Konsthall 2015; Fotografiska Tallinn, New York, and Stockholm 2020. Public collections: Chicago Art Institute; Sankt Karins stad; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Kiasma, museum of contemporary art, Helsinki; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Leather Archives and Museum Group, Chicago; Wäinö Aaltonens art museum, Åbo. The exhibition is produced by Fotografiska in collaboration with Tom of Finland Foundation.
Host Intro New York City is at a crisis point with its infrastructure. Some people see bicycles as one possible solution. Others see them as a nuisance. This tension isn't new — an exhibit at the City Museum of New York reminds us it's almost as old as the city itself. Hannah Critchfield has more. CRITCHFIELD 1 Exactly 200 years ago, the first bike came to New York City. It was called the velocipede, it didn't have pedals, it didn't have breaks, you had to go down a hill just to ride it. And right away, it freaked people out. It was banned from the streets within And that begins a very long history of restricting, limiting, curbing, marginalizing some bicycles. That's Evan Friss, he's co-curator of Cycling in the City: A 200-Year History, a new exhibit at the City Museum of New York. The show follows the history of the tension of the bicycle's place and its purpose in New York City. Friss says that a lot of this contention comes from waring ideas about what the bike should be. Is it for leisure, or labor? And there's this constant tension between, uh, can it be both a vehicle that's privileged for its utilitarian value and also be embraced for its social and recreational value? Today, biking is wildly popular in New York City. On an average morning, 3,000 bikers cross the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan. The number of daily cycling trips in the city is three times what it was fifteen years ago. But as the exhibition makes clear, the tension over bikes continues. The growth of cycling kind of violates people's expectations of how people are supposed to move through space, even if the cyclists aren't causing harm. That's Do Lee, an environmental psychologist who researches working cyclists in the city. These ideas are old, but the exhibit shows that the modern day conflict around bikes in the city came out of a very specific event in the 1980s. It all starts when New York Mayor Ed Koch takes a trip…to China. He visits China, he sees bicycling and he decides New York to be a modern city is going to use bicycles. That's Don Albrecht, Curator of Architecture and Design at the museum. Mayor Koch began encouraging cycling, and established bike lanes. He imagined a cleaner, quieter New York City, free of gridlock. But then came the bike messengers – around 5,000 of them. And they're very different than most of the other cyclists. Three quarters of them are probably not white. Um, either African American or Latino. They're young. Uh, and of course they become stereotyped as aggressive riders who are reckless. Amid outcries of their danger, in 1987 Koch cracked down, proposing an outright ban on bike riding during the day in Midtown Manhattan. The bicycle messengers fight back. They protest down the city streets and they win. And that's a key moment when the bicycle shifts from being a mode of recreation to a mode of work and commuting and transportation. CRITCHFIELD 7 The bike ban was repealed. Curators say the current debates about bikes in the city all started at that moment in the 80s. Next to the bike messenger display, a video plays. It's about food delivery cyclists, the majority of them Chinese immigrants, who have spent the last few months fighting for the city to legalize the bikes they use. And a lot of the language against the delivery people and e-bikes is reminiscent of debates against the bike messengers in the 1980s. Friss says it's worth examining this history, because it tells us about why people feel they way they do about bicycles today. FRISS 5 How we think of it then shapes where we think it, the law and how we regulate it and whether we promote it or not. Cycling in the City: A 200-Year History is open now through October 6th. Hannah Critchfield, Columbia Radio News.
What are the most popular video game genres in 2023? Video gaming has captured the attention of many people worldwide. It's interesting to see how it has changed over time. The diversity of video game genres is impressive, with a vast range of titles and gameplay options available. There's a game type for everyone, like RPGs, action-adventures, first-person shooters, simulations, and puzzles. In this article, we will look at different video games, types of gameplay, and popular genres that gamers love. Table of contents - What is a Video Game Genre? - How Many Genres of Video Games Are There? - Most Popular Video Game Genres 2023 What is a Video Game Genre? A video game genre is a category encompassing different types of video games. Different genres of video games have emerged over time as the gaming industry has grown. From action-packed, first-person shooter games to immersive role-playing games, there's a vast range of options to explore. Each video game genre offers unique gameplay mechanics, storylines, and visual styles. Besides popular genres, there are also specific video game genres for different audiences, like visual novels or interactive fiction games. By identifying different video games based on their gameplay elements, gamers can quickly figure out their favorite games. Thus, making it easier for them to find new and exciting titles to enjoy. To learn more about gaming stats, check out our blog post titled "How Many Gamers Are There in the World?" How Many Genres of Video Games Are There? There are more than 35 video game genres that are popular in the gaming industry. Some examples of these genres include shooter games and simulation games. But as video games continue to gain popularity, developers regularly create new types of video game genres. This leads to an increase in the number of available genres. As gamers, we're spoiled for choice with countless different types of video games to explore. That said, we've compiled a list of game genres and their subgenres right below! Game Genres and Subgenres Let's see our list of game genres and subgenres! Action Genre - Shooters - Shoot 'em Up - Run and Gun - Shooting Gallery - Light Gun Shooter - First-person Shooter (FPS) - Third-person Shooter (TPS) - Beat 'em Up - Scrolling Beat 'em Up - Hack 'n Slash - 3D Beat 'em Up - Platformer - Metroidvania - Fighting - Arcade - Stealth - Horror - Survival - Rhythm - Battle Royale Adventure Genre - Text Adventures - Graphic Adventures - Visual Novels - Interactive Movie - Real-time 3D adventures RPG Genre - Action RPG - MMORPG (massively-multiplayer online role-playing games) - Roguelikes - Tactical RPG - Sandbox RPG - First-person Party-based RPG - Monster Tamer - Gacha Games Sports Genre - Racing - Arcade Sports - Competitive - Realistic Sports Games (Sports-based fighting) Strategy Genre - Multiplier Online Battle Arena (MOBA) - Real-time Strategy - Turn-based Strategy - Tower Defense - Card and Board Games Simulation Genre - Construction - Management - Life Simulation - Vehicle Simulation (Driving Simulation, Flight Simulation, Submarine Simulation,…) - Programming Games - Photography Games Puzzle Genre - Breakout Clone Game - Logical Game - Point-and-click Adventure - Reveal The Picture Games - Match 3 Games - Hidden Object Games - Word Games - Typing Games - Trivia Games Casual Genre Casual games are easy to play, have simple rules, and don't need much time commitment. They're perfect for those who want to unwind after a long day or simply pass the time. Some of the subgenres of casual games include idle games, clicker games, incremental games, indie games, and simulation games. The casual Game genre has something for everyone, no matter their age, skill level, or interests. Whether you're into crafting, farming, or just clicking buttons, there's a variety of games out there for you. Nowadays, mobile gaming has made casual games more accessible than ever before. Most Popular Video Game Genres 2023 What is the most popular video game genre, you may ask? Each year, new games are launched, and some genres tend to dominate the market more than others. This article will explore the most popular genre of video games in 2023. 1. Action Games Action games are a cornerstone of the video game industry and remain popular among gamers. These exciting games are packed with adrenaline and feature action-packed combat, exciting exploration, and engaging puzzle-solving. Some of the most popular action games include Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut, and Resident Evil Village. 2. Role-playing Games (RPGs) RPG games allow you to take on the role of a fictional character, finish quests, and travel through huge, open worlds. RPGs are a popular genre of video games that often have complex storylines and character development. Gamers have the ability to fully engage in the game world, crafting friendships with NPCs (non-playable characters) and personalizing their own characters. The most popular RPG games include Cyberpunk 2077, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and Baldur's Gate III. 3. First-person Shooter (FPS) Games FPS games are fast-paced, action-packed shooters in which players shoot their way through levels. FPS games often have complex stories, memorable characters, and visually stunning graphics. Some of the most popular FPS games include Call of Duty: Vanguard, Battlefield 2042, and Halo Infinite. 4. Sports Games Sports games simulate real-life sports such as basketball, racing, or football games. This game genre allows players to compete against each other or the AI (Artificial Intelligence). These games often have realistic graphics and physics, making them challenging and enjoyable to play. A few of the top sports games out there are FIFA 23, Madden NFL 23, and NBA 2K23. 5. Adventure Games Video games in the adventure game genre emphasize exploration, puzzle-solving, and narrative. These games can range from puzzle-solving to mystery-solving or put players in an open-world setting to explore. They often have rich storylines, compelling characters, and beautiful graphics. Some well-liked examples of adventure games are Breath of the Wild 2, Deathloop, and Kena: Bridge of Spirits. 6. Strategy Games Strategy games require careful planning, resource management, and quick decision. Popular action games are Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut, and Resident Evil Village.-making skills. They are popular among gamers who enjoy games requiring critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Strategy games can vary from medieval conquests to sci-fi wars. Age of Empires IV, Total War: Warhammer III, and Civilization VI are the top strategy games of 2023. 7. Simulation Games Simulation games are popular among gamers who enjoy virtual worlds with realistic mechanics. They allow players to simulate real-life experiences like running a farm, flying a plane, or being a truck driver. These games are often educational and provide players with an insight into real-life activities. The most popular simulation games include Microsoft Flight Simulator, The Sims 5, and Farming Simulator 22. 8. Fighting Games Video games in the fighting game genre emphasize character-versus-character combat. They require fast reflexes and careful timing to land combos and defeat opponents. Fighting games can be traditional 2D fighters or 3D fighters with free movement. Popular fighting games in 2023 include Tekken 8, Mortal Kombat 12, and Street Fighter VI. 9. Puzzle Games Puzzle games are video games that challenge players to solve puzzles to advance through levels. These games can vary from traditional jigsaw puzzles to complex brain teasers to physics puzzles. Puzzle games are a hit for those who relish critical thinking and problem-solving. The most popular puzzle games include Tetris Effect: Connected, Superliminal, and Return of the Obra Dinn. 10. Clicker Idle Games Clicker games are popular in the gaming industry, especially for casual gamers who want a low-pressure experience. These games need very little player involvement, mostly involving tapping or clicking to advance through levels or receive rewards. That's why sometimes these games are also called clicking games. Some popular clicker/idle games include Adventure Capitalist, Cookie Clicker, and Tap Tycoon. Playsaurus is a famous indie game publisher known for their idle/clicker games that can entertain players for a long time. Clicker Heroes is a popular game by Playsaurus. Players summon and upgrade heroes to fight monsters and advance levels. Other popular games from Playsaurus are Mr. Mine and Grindcraft. As tech advances, video games constantly evolve in popularity, and new video game genres are expected to emerge. No matter what genres of video games you seek, the video game landscape offers much for casual players and dedicated gamers alike. What's your favorite game genre? Let us know!
April 11th is World Parkinson's Day. We are featuring Jeffery Kordower who is leading research in neurodegenerative diseases here at the Biodesign Institute. The two most common neurodegenerative disorders in the U.S. turn life into a downward spiral for the estimated 6.7 million Americans with Alzheimer's disease and as many as 1 million with Parkinson's. Alzheimer's slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. Parkinson's takes a heavier toll on the body, creating tremors and motor difficulties that can worsen to the point where it may be impossible to stand or walk without assistance. At the ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center, researchers are unlocking mysteries about the diseases in the hopes of finding effective treatments — if not a cure. The center is part of the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University. Researchers are exploring strategies for replacing depleted neurons to reverse the debilitating symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Kordower is on the forefront of promising new research into so-called neural grafting, in which stem cells are directly implanted in the brain. In other research in collaboration with ASU's School of Molecular Sciences and the Banner Brain and Body Donation Center, Ramon Velazquez had presets evidence that low levels of choline in the bloodstream are associated with increased severity of Alzheimer's disease pathology in the brain. Approximately 90% of Americans are deficient in choline, an essential nutrient that's vital for neurological health as well as liver and metabolic function. The center's innovative approach to health solutions draws from the overarching mission of the Biodesign Institute, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary throughout 2024. Below, Kordower shares his insights into the center's research. Answers are edited for length and clarity. Question: What is the research focus of your center? Answer: The center is on a quest to reduce the symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's and ultimately find a cure. Caring for someone with a neurodegenerative disease can feel like a tremendous burden, and our other mission is to find ways to help caregivers. We have outstanding undergraduate and graduate students as well as postdoctoral fellows working here, and our job is to train them to become the next generation of impactful neuroscientists. Q: Why is this work important to society? A: There will be 25 million to 30 million people with Alzheimer's and 15 million people with Parkinson's worldwide by 2040. While the cost in human suffering is incalculable, the financial cost to sustain this pandemic of neurodegenerative diseases will be astronomical. We need to make a major impact soon to help people and society overall. Q: What is the biggest challenge in this field of research? A: There are many challenges because these diseases are complicated. Many clinical trials never recruit a single patient. With the website clinicaltrials.gov, there's an easy avenue to enroll in a study, but these people are sick, and coming to a doctor's office multiple times can be a burden. As researchers, we need more patients to participate in clinical trials so we can test drugs and other therapies moving forward. Also, there's always the issue of money — being able to get enough grant money to conduct research. Q: What is something you consider one of the center's biggest successes? A: Several things are percolating up, but it's a little too early to claim victory. I just became the principal investigator of a clinical trial funded by the Michael J. Fox Foundation to do stem cell transplants in patients with a genetic form of Parkinson's disease. We will infuse specially designed stem cells into a region of their brains called the putamen, where dopamine is lost due to the disease. We expect patients receiving the new cells to show improvements in symptoms in six to 12 months. If we achieve successful results in this clinical trial of patients with a genetic mutation, it will encourage further trials in a wider population of Parkinson's patients. My colleagues are doing super work in preclinical trials. For example, Ramon Velazquez has discovered that low levels of choline in the bloodstream are associated with increased severity of Alzheimer's disease pathology in the brain. The research offers hope that supplying sufficient choline may help to protect the brain from Alzheimer's disease or at least delay its onset. Q: How are students involved in the center's research? A: When I first came here a couple of years ago, I gave a lecture in an undergraduate course and told the students that anyone who wants to do research should stop by my office. The next day, I had nine students outside my door, and I took them all. I very rarely turn anyone away. I have three graduate and six undergraduate students in my lab right now. One of the reasons why I became successful is my mentor demonstrated to me how exciting science could be, and I try to provide that environment to students. Q: If someone gave your center $100 million, what would you do with it? A: I would expand the focus of the center to include other types of dementia, such as Lewy body dementia. Cognitive decline is a huge problem with other diseases like frontotemporal dementia, sometimes called Pick's disease, and multiple system atrophy, so I'd expand the breadth of our faculty researchers. I'd love to put an imaging center here so we could do our own PET and MRI scanning. Right now, I do all these scans at Barrow Neurological Institute. Q: How did you become interested in science, and in particular, the field you are in? A: I wasn't doing well in college, and I knew I needed to get some extra credit. A developmental psychology professor was looking for volunteers to do research, and I volunteered, even though I wasn't really interested in the research she was doing. But a new assistant professor named Richard Bodnar who was studying pain perception and analgesia moved in across the hall. That was something that interested me, and so I started working in his lab and fell in love with science. We were incredibly successful together, and I published 10 papers as an undergraduate and graduate student. Afterward, I attended a Society for Neuroscience meeting, where I met Don Gash, who presented his research during a seminar on brain cell transplantation. He was transplanting cells that made a peptide called vasopressin. My doctoral thesis was on vasopressin pain and analgesia processes, so it seemed like a good match. I applied for a postdoctoral fellowship with his research team at the University of Rochester Medical Center and was accepted. When I arrived, he'd changed the entire direction of his research to Parkinson's disease, which turned out to be fantastic for me. Q: What is the most fun aspect of your work in the center? A: It's the discovery. My colleagues and I recently discovered the role of a critical protein called tau in the neural degeneration of patients with Parkinson's disease. Our findings challenge the conventional view of Parkinson's disease pathology, which typically focuses on the protein alpha-synuclein as the classic diagnostic hallmark of the disease. Our study was published in the well-respected journal Brain, and it's so exciting that our discovery could shift the focus of Parkinson's disease research, diagnosis and treatment. Q: Describe your experience with Biodesign's collaborative, interdisciplinary research culture. A: Biodesign researchers are smart, committed and good collaborators. We accelerate each other's research. In the past, researchers worked alone in their own lab, but it's impossible to make a major impact that way anymore. You need collaborators; it takes a team.
- Yes - Maybe - No The 75/18 self-propelled gun was the most famous Italian self-propelled anti-tank gun of the Second World War. After observing the results obtained by the Germans with the Sturmgeschütz III, the Italian leaders decided to produce similar vehicles armed with 75 mm pieces. The choice fell on the "new" Ansaldo 75/18 Mod.34/35 piece, and the tank was built by Ansaldo itself (in collaboration with Fiat) on a hull of the M13/40 medium tank. As the Italian tanks evolved, so did the self-propelled guns, and over time the last Italian medium tank, known as the M15/42, was created. Also on this hull was built a self-propelled gun armed with the same cannon as the previous ones, and was called Semovente da 75/18 M42. The first examples were delivered to the army starting from 8 May 1943, but few of these vehicles were built, and even fewer used in battle. The few available were used during the desperate defense of Rome against the German troops after 8 September 1943, while the others were not used due to the armistice clauses or were destroyed by the crews themselves to avoid capture. Some examples were produced or repaired by the RSI industries and at least one of these vehicles was put into service by the Italian partisans during the Turin insurrection. Furthermore, some examples were captured and used by the Germans with some small modifications to the secondary armament and radio equipment. After the end of the conflict, 12 of these surviving self-propelled guns were re-classified into the departments of the newly formed Italian Army and were used until their replacement in the early 1960s. Some of these vehicles were placed in museums or memorials. Armaments and propulsion. The main armament consisted of the 75/18 Mod. 1934/1935 howitzer placed in a casemate in the center of the tank, coupled with an 8 mm Breda Model 38 machine gun, placed in the usual position in which it was also placed in previous self-propelled guns. For the cannon, 44 ammunition of various types were stowed and for the machine gun up to 1104 rounds in 24-round magazines. The Semovente was powered by a FIAT-SPA T15B V8 petrol water-cooled 190hp with 307 liters gasoline tank. It was mounted at the rear of the vehicle and was separated from the passenger compartment by a bulkhead (and since the engine was petrol, there was greater fire prevention equipment). The 5-speed gearbox, one backward and 4 forward. Crew: 3 Length: 5,043 m Width: 2,23 m Height: 1,85 m Weight: 15 t Engine: FIAT-SPA T15B with 190 HP Maximum speed: 39 km/h Traction: tracked with front driving wheel Suspensions: leaf spring Autonomy: 200 km or 380 km with 6 20-liter jerry cans Armament: 1x Ansaldo 75/18 Mod.34/35 (44 rounds in normal conditions), 1x Breda Mod.38 8 mm (46 magazines) and 1x Nebelkerzenabwurfvorrichtung grenade launcher placed in the rear of the tank (5 smoke bombs) Armor: 50-0 mm (unlike previous models, this one has a single 50mm faceplate) Pictures and drawnings. 75/18 (semovente) - Wikipedia Semovente M41 and M42 da 75/18 - Tank Encyclopedia GLI AUTOVEICOLI DA COMBATTIMENTO DELL'ESERCITO ITALIANO VOL II TOMO I by Biblioteca Militare - Issuu Semovente da 75/18 (1941) Regio Esercito - Lista materiale bellico - Semovente da 75-18 su scafo M Semovente da 75/18 - Wikipedia Howitzers semoventi della seconda guerra mondiale. Parte di 3. Semovente da 75 / 18
Maryland Truck Accident Lawyer Hit By A Truck Driver? Get A Top Semi Truck Accident Attorney in Maryland On Your Side. Recovered Millions For Car Accident Injuries. No Fees Unless We Win. Get The Experts At Semi Truck Accidents. Call Dubo Law. (443) 275-6345 Truck accidents are among the most serious on the road, and the consequences can be catastrophic. Commercial trucks can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds, so they pose a great threat if a truck driver crashes into you. If you've suffered minor or series injuries in an accident due to truck driver negligence, don't delay. Get top-rated Maryland truck accident lawyers on your side. The Key To Winning Your Truck Accident Claim? An Experienced Truck Accident Lawyer. Semi truck accidents can be extremely difficult to resolve, especially with commercial truck drivers. If you need to win your truck accident claim and make sure your medical bills are paid, your lost wages are compensated, and your serious injuries get the treatment they need, we can help. At Dubo Law, Neil Dubovsky is rated 5.0 by clients because he is a semi truck accident attorney who prioritizes you and your case. Tractor-trailer accidents are more complex cases than passenger car accidents, so your compensation will heavily depend on the semi truck accident attorney you select. Avoid regret and choose one of the most experienced semi truck accident lawyers in Maryland. Talk To A Top Truck Accident Attorney: (443) 275-6345 What to Do After a Truck Accident? (443) 275-6345 If you've been in an accident involving a semi truck driver, your safety and injuries sustained are the first priority. If you are able, check yourself and your surroundings to make sure you and others are safe from further danger. 1. Call 911 It is crucial to inform authorities about the semi truck accident, so the officers can fill out the proper police report of the accident. This will be a key piece of evidence in your personal injury case and can help you receive a fair settlement. 2. Document the accident If possible, take photos of the accident to have evidence of the damage, serious injuries, and other details that could prove fault or truck driver negligence – such as fatigued driving. The opportunity may not exist later and these details and photographic evidence will help enormously with the eventual success of your personal injury claim. 3. Seek medical attention Even if you do not feel any pain, seek medical attention. A slight discomfort you may be feeling immediately after the accident could be a deeper and more serious health issue. If you do not seek the opinion of a medical professional right way, and follow their advice, it can make your personal injury lawsuit less likely to succeed. How Your Semi Truck Accident Case Works at Dubo Law Unlike other truck accident attorneys in Maryland, when you work with Dubo Law, you can know that your case is always a priority – because we limit the number of car accident and truck accident cases we take on. That way every client gets our best. Whether your case involves minor injuries or catastrophic injuries, you deserve a fair settlement and full recovery. Dubo Law can help you win lost wages, medical bills, and any pain and suffering damages. Here's how your trucking accidents with tractor trailers work: Goal #1: Determining Fault In Accidents Involving Semi Trucks We will carefully review the details of the crash and determine all the possible parties that could potentially be held liable for the trucking accident. There are multiple options, and the negligent parties will depend on the details of your case. Here are common ones: - The semi truck driver, - The truck company who employ the driver, - The company that owns the semi trucks, - The company that loads the commercial vehicle, - The company that hires the trucking companies to deliver the goods, and - The commercial trucks manufacturer and maintenance team. Goal #2: Prove Fault Of The Trucking Companies And/Or Truck Drivers Through Evidence Our goal is to hold all the parties accountable so you can recover all the compensation you deserve. We will thoroughly investigate all the evidence, including: - The semi truck driver logs, - The load manifest, - The semi truck's computer and GPS recording (the black box), - The truck driver's toxicology report, - The truck's maintenance record, - Common evidence with vehicle accidents – accident scene photos, police reports, and passenger vehicle damage. - Locating and talking with witnesses to the accident involving truck drivers. Goal #3: Deal With Insurance Company On Your Behalf To Maximize Your Compensation We will also deal with the insurance company, which can be very frustrating at the best of times – let alone right after an accident with semi truck drivers. The insurance company will do whatever they can to devalue or deny your insurance claim. When you choose Dubo Law, you get proven Maryland truck accident lawyers on your side to aggressively negotiate for the compensation you deserve and win the challenging disputes with any big insurance company. Experts At Semi Truck Accidents & Personal Injury Cases "I cannot say enough about how Dubo Law handled my case. Neil and Jordan kept me informed the entire time and when I needed to make a decision about whether to settle or go to Court, Neil let ME make the decision. He gave me all the information with no pressure and, in the end, negotiated a great settlement that I was really thrilled with. Highly recommended and would refer Dubo Law to anyone without hesitation." Vicarious Liability Doctrine Vicarious Liability Doctrine is also known as 'indirect' liability and it applies in Maryland. It imposes responsibility upon one person for the failure of another, with whom the person has a special relationship. In the case of a semi truck accident, the employer (ex: trucking company) is charged with legal responsibility for the employee's (ex: truck drivers) negligence because the employee is held to be an agent of the employer. In simple terms, the trucking company can be held responsible for collisions because the employees were careless or the company is negligent in its obligations or policies. The top Maryland truck accident lawyers will know exactly how to apply this to your case. That's what you get at Dubo Law. Types of Compensation After a Semi Truck Accident in Maryland If you have a viable case, some of the most experienced Maryland truck accident attorneys in the state will pursue compensation for a variety of damages caused to you. Those potential damages include: Economic Damages Economic damages are meant to compensate you as the claimant for financial losses. That includes past and future medical expenses, such as medical bills, durable medical equipment, prescription medication, or physical therapy. Past and future lost income includes lost wages from missed work and the difference between pre-accident and post-accident income if injuries reduce your capacity to work. Non-Economic Damages These are more subjective losses and include pain and suffering as a form of emotional, mental, and physical distress and loss of consortium, which is compensation to your family for the loss of your companionship and your services to the family. Non-economic damages may sometimes also apply to the loss of a loved one in fatal accidents. Property Damage You may also be entitled to claim compensation for any property damage, such as the cost of the repair or the replacement of your damaged car. Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Maryland Commercial trucks and tractor trailers are large and complicated machines that are not so easy to control. In addition, truck drivers are sometimes pushed to their limits, and consequently, fatal accidents can happen. Some of the most common causes of truck accidents are: - Driving under the influence – Drunk or drugged drivers pose a serious threat on the road. Drivers may behave erratically while operating the vehicle. Alcohol or drugs impair the driver's reaction times and decision-making abilities. - Speeding – exceeding the speed limit to complete the work quickly has become a common practice among truck drivers. Unfortunately, a speeding truck is very difficult to stop, so the consequences to other drivers may be fatal. - Drowsy driving – Operating a vehicle while exhausted can have a number of issues. Suppose a company fails to keep track of the driver's working hours or deliberately encourages the driver to work overtime. In that case, they are more likely to fall asleep at the truck's wheel. This means the driver could veer from their lane and collide with other vehicles. - Overloaded trailer – Each truck has a maximum capacity that should not be exceeded when loading a trailer. However, many companies overload trailers in order to earn more profits for item transportation. As a result, the driver may easily lose control over the vehicle, leading to serious accidents. - Distracted driving – When truck drivers take their eyes off the road even for a few seconds to change the radio station, look at their cell phones, or change a map on their GPS unit, the consequences may be disastrous in the event of a collision. - Defective truck parts – A vehicle that weighs so much requires additional inspection. Trucking companies are supposed to routinely inspect their fleet to make sure all proper maintenance has been performed. In cases involving some type of maintenance concern (such as faulty brakes, a flat tire, or a transmission malfunction), we can pursue a claim based on the improper maintenance or inspection. - Improperly secured cargo – The cargo that slides around in the back can cause truckers many problems. The truck may become unbalanced and hard to control, and the loose load can drop from the truck onto other cars on the road. Why Choose Dubo Law as Your Semi Truck Accident Attorney? When you call Dubo Law, you get Neil Dubovsky on your side. Neil is recognized as a top car accident attorney in Maryland and has recovered millions for clients like you in Baltimore and the surrounding areas. If you've been injured in a semi truck accident and need compensation, call Dubo Law. We can help. - Experience – Being a licensed attorney since 2002, Neil has gained extensive experience in litigation generally and personal injury litigation specifically. This ensured his membership in several prestigious lawyer organizations. - Results – His results speak for themselves – Neil has helped recover millions of dollars for victims of truck accidents and other personal injury claims throughout his career. - Prompt Resolution – Here at Dubo Law, we are proud to say that we do not take more cases than we know we can handle fairly. We will strive you receive the maximum for your claim but also receive it quickly. - Seen Both Sides – Neil represented insurance companies and defended them for more than ten years. Knowing exactly how they operate, their tricks and ploys do not work with him. However, his clients will certainly benefit from that knowledge. - Personal Attention – Being extremely client-friendly and attentive, Neil has developed a reputation as hard-working and aggressive. You will deal with Neil directly, so every question or concern you may have will be addressed directly by an attorney. Your satisfaction is paramount. - Contingency Fee Arrangement – It simply means that there is no risk to you because we do not receive any fee unless we win the case for you. We will do all the work to get you the compensation you deserve. Truck Accident Lawyer Near Me: Call Dubo Law at (443) 275-6345 Injuries like broken bones, soft-tissue injuries, burns, scarring, internal organ injuries, and others sustained in a truck accident can be really serious, sometimes even fatal. Your rights are at stake, and these cases are extremely complex, so having one of the top-rated tractor trailer accident lawyers in Maryland by your side will help you seek a fair compensation you may be entitled to. Serving Areas Neil represents clients involved in truck accidents throughout the state of Maryland in the counties of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Calvert, Caroline, Carrol, Cecil, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George's, Queen Anne's, Talbot, Washington, and Wicomico. Contact Us for Your Free Case Review! (443) 275-6345 Texting number (443) 870-4329 Hours of Operation Monday – Friday: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM COVID-19 Update Your health and safety are important to us. Please be advised that we are open for business during COVID-19 quarantines. All consultations will be conducted either via video chat, phone, or email.
While alcohol may not be the best discussion during dinner, it can be necessary for parents to have this conversation with their kids, especially when they are under 21. In addition to talking about the health effects of alcohol, your child should know the legal effects of drinking before they are of legal age. So, how can you hold this discussion? Bring up the subject when relaxed Initiating a discussion about underage drinking when there is tension, for example, when your child is under punishment, may not be wise. Consider introducing the talk when you and your child are relaxed, such as during dinner or when handling household chores. Avoid being judgemental You should hold the conversation in a non-judgmental way. For example, ask your child about their thoughts on alcohol, how they feel about adults having alcohol around kids, if they have heard their friends talk about alcohol and so on. Basically, your conversation should be more about you listening to their opinions. And once they are engaged, you can introduce underage drinking. Calmly talk to them about the legal age of drinking in Louisiana and the effects of being caught drunk before that age. Share personal stories If you have stories about teens/adults whose lives changed because of underage drinking or drinking in general, you can share them in a non-judgmental way. Tell them it's normal not to drink Many kids usually start to think it's normal to drink, and some even believe that their parents giving them their first beer is a rite of passage. Therefore, while your child should know about underage drinking, consider telling them it's okay not to drink even after they are old enough to. Parents should discuss underage drinking with their kids. If your child is charged with this crime, get them legal help sooner to protect their future.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) in precision agriculture is reshaping the landscape of farming, offering innovative solutions to age-old challenges. This transition towards more scientific and data-driven approaches promises to enhance productivity and sustainability in agriculture. By integrating AI technologies, farmers gain access to invaluable insights and predictive analytics, enabling them to make informed decisions that benefit both their yields and the environment. Understanding AI in Precision Agriculture AI in precision agriculture uses cutting-edge technology to transform the way farmers understand and interact with their land. By employing sophisticated algorithms and machine learning, the system can analyze data from various sources like satellites, drones, and sensors deployed in the field. These technologies collect extensive information on soil health, moisture levels, temperature, and crop health, empowering farmers with real-time insights. The heart of AI's application in farming lies in its predictive capabilities. Machine learning models train on historical agricultural data, enabling them to predict future outcomes based on current conditions. This could range from anticipating the optimal planting season for a crop, determining the exact amount of water needed for irrigation, or predicting potential pest outbreaks before they become a significant threat. One practical application is precision soil sampling. Traditional methods involved sending soil samples to a lab for analysis, which was time-consuming and often not representative of the entire field. AI-driven methods, in contrast, provide a more detailed and quicker analysis, helping in making immediate decisions on fertilization and crop rotation plans. Crop monitoring takes a leap forward with AI by using aerial images from drones or satellites. Advanced image processing technologies identify areas of stress in plants, nutrition deficiencies, or disease symptoms not visible to the naked eye. This level of monitoring assists in applying corrective measures promptly and accurately, minimizing wastage of resources. AI also enhances efficiency through agriculture robotics. Robots equipped with AI can perform tasks such as weeding, spraying pesticides, and harvesting. These robots are designed to recognize the difference between crops and weeds or ripe and unripe fruits, ensuring that actions are precisely targeted, thereby reducing manual labor costs and increasing the efficacy of these operations. Customized recommendations for crop management represent another crucial aspect of AI in precision agriculture. By integrating data from various sources, AI systems offer personalized advice on the best crop varieties for a particular field, anticipating market demands, thus helping farmers in planning more rewarding cropping strategies. With the adoption of AI technologies, farmers are set on a path toward sustainability. Practices such as precise irrigation and fertilizer application reduce water usage and chemical runoff, contributing positively to environmental conservation efforts. In essence, AI is remodeling the agriculture landscape, making it more scientific, efficient, and sustainable. By leveraging vast datasets for insights and predictions, it stands as a cornerstone technology that promises to elevate the global agriculture industry to new heights of productivity and environmental responsibility. The Impact of AI on Crop Management AI not only revamps the way we approach farming but also redraws the boundaries of what's achievable in crop management. With predictive analytics at its core, AI empowers farmers to foresee crop yields with astonishing accuracy, ensuring that they can plan for the future with more confidence. This crystal ball into the cyclical nature of farming is not just about quantity but also about quality, allowing for adjustments in farming practices that align with anticipated outcomes. The battle against crop diseases receives a significant boost from AI. Through advanced detection systems, AI identifies potential outbreaks before they become problematic. This proactive approach to plant health is akin to having a doctor on call 24/7, exclusively for crops. The magic lies in the combination of visual data from drones above with insights from sensors in the soil, creating a comprehensive picture of a crop's health deep below the surface and far above it. Precision spraying technology steered by AI marks the dawn of a new era in resource utilization. Traditionally, blanket approaches to pesticide and nutrient application not only wasted resources but also heightened environmental concerns. Enter AI, and now we have systems smart enough to pinpoint exactly where and how much of a substance a particular crop section requires. This precision ensures that every drop of pesticide and every granule of fertilizer is used optimally, reducing waste and safeguarding surrounding ecosystems. AI's transformative role extends to optimizing water use, perhaps the most critical resource in agriculture. By analyzing weather forecasts, soil moisture levels, and plant health data, AI systems can determine the optimal irrigation schedule for each crop field. This results to a remarkable reduction in water wastage, contributing significantly to conservation efforts while ensuring crops receive the right amount of water at the right time. The gift of foresight provided by AI's predictive analytics offers a greener path to farming. By forecasting the precise amounts of inputs needed for crop cultivation, farmers can minimize excess use of fertilizers, pesticides, and water, leading to a form of farming that respects and protects our environment. This alignment with sustainability goals portrays AI not merely as a tool for enhancing efficiency but as a partner in the mission to cultivate responsibly for future generations. Robotics, empowered by AI, transcend everyday tasks, venturing into the realm of advanced crop management. These intelligent machines handle everything from planting seeds tailored to the soil's needs to harvesting crops at their peak ripeness. The mundane and strenuous tasks that once defined farming now fall within the domain of these tireless mechanical helpers, allowing farmers to focus on strategic decisions and broader farm management issues. AI platforms provide personalized recommendations tailored to the unique needs of each farm, thereby revolutionizing the crop management process. By analyzing vast amounts of data from various sources, these systems suggest specific actions that farmers can take to improve crop health, yield, and overall farm efficiency. This bespoke advice covers everything from optimal planting schedules to pest management strategies, delivering a level of guidance that was previously unimaginable. In considering the future of farming, AI stands as a cornerstone technology driving advancements. Through its predictive powers and precision capabilities, AI transforms crop management into an endeavor marked by increased predictability and productivity. The potential benefits of AI in agriculture extend far beyond individual farms, hinting at a future where farming practices worldwide are more efficient, sustainable, and in harmony with the global ecosystem. As we continue to unlock AI's full potential, its contributions to agriculture promise not only more bountiful harvests but also a brighter future for our planet. AI-Driven Soil and Water Management Moisture sensors nestled in the depths of soil are quietly revolutionizing the way farmers understand their fields. They work day and day out, measuring the levels of moisture present and relaying this data back to AI systems poised to make real-time decisions. This conversation between below-ground sensors and AI doesn't stop at moisture levels. It extends to evaluating soil conditions, including determining when the land is too dry or sufficiently moist, thereby advising on the precise moment for irrigation. This level of precision ensures water is employed wisely, directing it towards crops that thirst and holding back when nature promises rain. Furthermore, employing AI to analyze soil health extends beyond moisture. It involves decoding the myriad of secrets soil holds about nutrients and pH levels. AI algorithms compare this data against vast libraries of crop requirements, thus guiding farmers on what, where, and when to plant for optimum growth without overtaxing water resources. Water management benefits enormously from AI's forecasting abilities. Predicting weather patterns, calculating evaporation rates, and understanding crop water needs allow for a dynamic irrigation strategy. This results in a water-saving technique that not only conserves precious H2O but ensures it's used efficiently for crops genuinely in need. AI's role in soil and water management crosses into drought management as well. Algorithms can designate the risk of droughts well in advance, initiating conservation practices early to buffer the impact on crops and soil. These preemptive strikes against drought are invaluable in preserving both the health of the soil and the livelihoods of those that till it. In a world where water scarcity is an ever-increasing concern, these AI-driven tools offer a beacon of hope. For farmers, this means harnessing technology to not only maintain but improve crop yields with minimal water use. For the environment, it signals a move towards practices that respect finite resources while feeding an ever-growing population. Soil erosion detection powered by AI takes sustainability a step further. By recognizing patterns that indicate erosion risk, such as heavy rainfall events or incorrect plowing techniques, farmers can adapt practices to protect their soil. Protecting soil ensures it remains fertile and capable of retaining water, a critical element in combating both water waste and scarcity. Lastly, integrating AI into soil and water management solidifies a future wherein decisions are not just educated but insightful. It's a future where every drop of water counts, where soil health forms the basis of agricultural strategies, and where sustainability isn't just a goal but a practical achievement. This movement towards AI in managing these natural resources marks a shift in not only agriculture practices but in acknowledging the interdependence between technology, the earth, and its burgeoning populations. An interdependence that, if nurtured, promises a thriving planet for generations to come. The Role of Drones and Robotics in Precision Agriculture Drones and Robotics Revolutionizing AI-Driven Farming Drones and robotics play an increasingly crucial role in the implementation of AI-driven farming, streamlining operations where precision and efficiency are paramount. These technologies, equipped with advanced AI, revolutionize traditional farming methods by providing aerial imaging, automated planting, and harvesting solutions. Aerial imaging via drones offers a birds-eye view of farmlands, enabling farmers to assess crop health, monitor growth rates, and even detect pest infestations from above. This vantage point is invaluable, as it gives a comprehensive picture of the field that can't be achieved from the ground. Drones are equipped with sophisticated sensors and imaging technologies that capture detailed photographs and thermal imagery, pinpointing variations in the field that might indicate issues like irrigation problems or soil health concerns. On the ground, robotics are transforming the way crops are planted, tended, and harvested. Autonomous tractors and planters can navigate fields with precision accuracy, sowing seeds at optimal depths and spacings without human intervention. These machines can operate around the clock, vastly increasing productivity while reducing the labor costs associated with traditional farming methods. When it comes to crop care, robotic systems are equally transformative. Equipped with advanced sensors, these robots can identify weeds among crops and selectively spray herbicides to eliminate them, significantly reducing the amount of chemicals used on the farm. This targeted approach not only saves on costs but also minimizes environmental impact, aligning with sustainable farming objectives. Harvesting sees the introduction of robotic pickers that gently and efficiently collect ripe produce. These systems can be programmed to recognize when fruit is at its peak ripeness, ensuring that produce is harvested at the exact right moment for optimal quality. This level of precision reduces waste and maximizes yield, as each plant is given the attention it needs to thrive. Beyond fieldwork, drones and robotics are integral to data collection and analysis, feeding information into AI systems that process and generate actionable insights. For instance, data from drone imagery can be analyzed to forecast yields, allowing farmers to make informed decisions on crop management and sales. In pest management, drones can deploy biological control agents directly to affected areas. This method, known as precision biocontrol, minimizes the use of pesticides while effectively managing pest populations. Robotics equipped with UV lights roam fields at night, targeting harmful insects without disturbing the crops. As collaborative technologies, drones and robotics also contribute to soil conservation efforts. By optimizing planting patterns and routes for machinery, they help reduce soil compaction and erosion, preserving the land's integrity for future cultivation. By integrating drones and robotics into AI-driven farming systems, farmers achieve levels of efficiency and precision once thought impossible. These innovations promise not just to enhance agricultural productivity but also to foster environmental stewardship, making modern farming a key player in the quest for sustainability in an ever-growing world. Challenges and Solutions in Implementing AI in Farming Understanding and troubleshooting AI systems require both technical knowledge and a comfort level with data interpretation. Farmers traditionally rely on experience and instinct, making the transition to data-driven practices daunting due to its complexity. To bridge this gap, offering hands-on training sessions and easy-to-understand manuals could enhance digital literacy, enabling a smoother transition to AI technologies. Financial barriers pose a significant challenge as well. The initial investment in AI technology and the infrastructure to support it can be prohibitive for small to medium-sized farms. Subsidies and financial assistance programs from governments or private entities can play a crucial role in overcoming these economic hurdles. These aids could reduce the upfront costs of AI adoption, making advanced agricultural technologies accessible to a broader range of farmers. Moreover, the infrastructure necessary to support AI, including reliable internet connections and technology maintenance, is not always available in rural areas. Developing robust rural technological infrastructure, possibly through public-private partnerships, is essential for the wide-scale adoption of AI in agriculture. Another challenge lies in the integration of AI systems with existing agricultural practices. The compatibility of new technologies with current farming systems often requires customization, which can further escalate costs and technical complications. To address this, AI solutions designed with scalability and adaptability in mind are crucial. These solutions should be able to integrate seamlessly with various types of agricultural operations, reducing the need for expensive custom modifications. Furthermore, concerns about data privacy and ownership also inhibit AI adoption in agriculture. Farmers may hesitate to adopt AI solutions due to fears that their farm data could be misused or stolen. Establishing clear regulations that protect farmers' rights regarding their data is critical to building trust. Organizations developing AI tools must prioritize data security and transparency about how they use and share agricultural data. To capitalize fully on the potential of AI in agriculture, ongoing support and education are necessary. This could take the form of technical support teams or advisory services that assist with troubleshooting and optimizing AI technologies. Creating peer networks or forums for farmers to share their experiences and solutions related to AI can also foster a supportive community around these new technologies. In summary, tackling the hurdles of AI adoption in agriculture requires a comprehensive approach addressing technical, financial, infrastructural, and legal challenges. Through education, government incentives, scalable technology solutions, and a particular focus on building a supportive community among farmers, these challenges can be met head-on. This way, the agricultural sector can move toward a more innovative and sustainable future with AI at its core. Future Trends in AI and Precision Agriculture As we gaze into the crystal ball of AI-driven precision agriculture's future, the next leaps seem nothing short of revolutionary. Given the strides we've already observed, the horizon promises a fusion of technology and farming practices that were once considered the stuff of science fiction. Imagine smart drones that don't just monitor crops but also have the capability to make real-time interventions. These aerial marvels might detect a section of crops showing early signs of distress and instantly deploy targeted nutrients or hydration to those specific areas, essentially conducting micro-interventions that preserve resources while boosting crop health. In the vein of sustainability, bioengineered sensors could become the norm, blending seamlessly with plants to monitor their health and needs directly. These living sensors would communicate with AI systems to provide unparalleled insights into plant biology, further optimizing water usage and nutrient distribution with a finesse that manual methods could never achieve. The blending of AI with gene editing technologies like CRISPR could open up new avenues for creating crops that are not only more resistant to pests and diseases but can also provide real-time feedback on their health status through embedded biological sensors. This could drastically reduce the need for chemical inputs like pesticides and herbicides, making agriculture cleaner and more sustainable. Beyond the farm, AI is set to revolutionize supply chains. Predictive logistics powered by AI could vastly improve the efficiency of how produce is transported from farm to table, reducing waste and ensuring fresher goods. This system would analyze data from myriad sources to predict and mitigate potential disruptions in the supply chain, ensuring a smooth flow of goods even amidst unforeseen challenges. In an effort to close the loop of farm sustainability, AI may helm the development of carbon capture techniques within agriculture. By analyzing vast datasets, AI systems could identify the most effective methods and locations for sequestration endeavors on farms, turning agriculture into a key player in global efforts to combat climate change. The aforementioned points only scratch the surface. Farmers themselves might see a transformation into "agri-technicians," equipped with wearable AI devices that offer real-time insights and decision-making support directly in the field. This blend of human intuition with machine precision could elevate farming efficiency to unprecedented levels. Moreover, AI-facilitated direct consumer-farmer connections could guide the production process, tailoring it to meet current demands precisely. Imagine a system where consumer preferences and consumption patterns drive the cultivation of crops, facilitated through an intricate AI-powered platform. This direct line not only ensures market relevance but also fosters a closer relationship between consumers and those who grow their food, adding depth to the farm-to-fork narrative. Ultimately, the journey towards these horizons depends on bridging current gaps in technology adoption, infrastructure, and educational efforts among farming communities. The integration of AI in farming is as much about fostering human-machine collaboration as it is about the technology itself. The cultivation of this synergy promises a future where precision agriculture not only meets the demands of a growing population but does so in a manner that enriches both the earth it draws from and those it nourishes. In conclusion, the integration of AI into precision agriculture stands as a transformative force, poised to redefine the future of farming. By harnessing the power of data and predictive analytics, it offers a pathway to increased efficiency and sustainability. This pivotal technology not only elevates agricultural practices but also aligns them with environmental conservation efforts, ensuring a prosperous future for both our global food systems and the planet.
In the realm of constitutional law, few topics evoke as much passion and debate as the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. Central to discussions of gun rights and regulation, the Second Amendment has been the subject of numerous legal battles throughout American history. One of the most significant of these battles culminated in the landmark Supreme Court decision known as District of Columbia v. Heller, a case that fundamentally shaped the interpretation of the Second Amendment in the modern era. Background of Heller vs. DC The case of Heller vs. DC originated from a challenge to the firearms regulations of the District of Columbia, which effectively banned handguns and required that long guns, such as rifles and shotguns, be kept disassembled or with trigger locks engaged. Dick Heller, a licensed special police officer in DC, challenged these laws, arguing that they violated his Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. The District of Columbia, on the other hand, contended that the Second Amendment protected only a collective right to bear arms in the context of a well-regulated militia. The Supreme Court's Ruling In a landmark decision handed down on June 26, 2008, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Dick Heller in a 5-4 decision. Writing for the majority, Justice Antonin Scalia articulated a historic interpretation of the Second Amendment. The Court held that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to possess firearms for self-defense and other lawful purposes, unconnected with service in a militia. The opinion struck down the DC handgun ban and the requirement to keep firearms in a non-functional state as unconstitutional infringements on the Second Amendment. Key Legal Principles Heller vs. DC established several key legal principles that continue to shape Second Amendment jurisprudence: Individual Right: The Court definitively affirmed that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to possess firearms for self-defense within the home. Originalism: Justice Scalia's majority opinion relied heavily on originalist interpretation, examining the historical context and original meaning of the Second Amendment as understood at the time of its ratification. Scope of Regulation: While affirming the individual right to bear arms, the Court acknowledged that this right is not unlimited. It left room for reasonable regulations to promote public safety and prevent dangerous individuals from possessing firearms. Impact and Legacy The Heller decision sparked significant debate and had far-reaching implications for gun laws across the United States. It emboldened proponents of gun rights while prompting challenges to existing firearms regulations in various jurisdictions. Subsequent Supreme Court decisions, such as McDonald v. City of Chicago (2010), extended Heller's holding to the states, further solidifying the individual right interpretation of the Second Amendment. However, Heller's legacy is also marked by ongoing controversy and disagreement. Critics argue that the decision has hindered efforts to enact meaningful gun control measures and address gun violence, while supporters maintain that it safeguards a fundamental constitutional right. District of Columbia v. Heller stands as a watershed moment in the interpretation of the Second Amendment, affirming an individual's right to possess firearms for self-defense and lawful purposes. Whether viewed as a triumph for gun rights or a setback for public safety efforts, Heller's enduring legacy underscores the complex and contentious nature of Second Amendment jurisprudence in American law. As the debate continues, the principles articulated in Heller will undoubtedly remain at the forefront of discussions surrounding gun rights and regulation in the United States.
Do you love spending your weekends out on the water with your trusted bait and tackle gear? If so, then you might be wondering if the Yakima River is currently open for fishing. After all, there's nothing more frustrating than packing all your things up and getting to your favorite fishing spot, only to find out that it's closed due to unforeseen circumstances. Thankfully, we've got some good news for you! The Yakima River is indeed currently open for fishing, and there's never been a better time to grab your gear and hit the water. Now, you might be wondering why exactly we're so excited about the Yakima River. For one, it's one of the most beautiful and scenic fishing locations in all of Washington state. With crystal-clear waters and lush greenery surrounding it for miles around, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more picturesque location to spend your time fishing. Plus, the Yakima River is home to a wide variety of fish species, including trout, steelhead, and smallmouth bass, making it the perfect spot for anglers of all skill levels and interests. So whether you're a seasoned pro or a newbie who's just starting out, you're sure to find something to love about the Yakima River. So what are you waiting for? Pack up your gear, grab your fishing buddies, and head out to the Yakima River for a day of fun and relaxation on the water. With its breathtaking natural beauty and abundance of fish, this river is sure to quickly become one of your favorite fishing destinations in no time. Fishing Regulations in Yakima River If you're planning a fishing trip to Yakima River, it's important to be aware of the fishing regulations set by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). These regulations aim to ensure the conservation of fish populations and promote sustainable fishing practices. - The Yakima River is open to fishing year-round, but certain regions and species have specific fishing seasons and catch limits. Make sure to check the WDFW website for the latest updates on regulations before planning your fishing trip. - All anglers above the age of 15 must carry a valid fishing license while fishing in Yakima River. Licenses can be purchased online or from authorized dealers across the state. - WDFW prohibits the use of certain fishing techniques and equipment that could harm fish populations or their habitats. For example, fishing with explosives, poisons, electric shock, or traps is strictly prohibited. It's important to note that violation of these regulations can lead to hefty fines, imprisonment, and revocation of fishing privileges. As responsible anglers, it's our duty to follow these regulations to ensure that our fishing practices do not harm the environment or other aquatic species. If you're unsure about any fishing regulation while fishing in Yakima River, don't hesitate to contact WDFW officials or check the guidelines provided on their website. Yakima River Fishing Season The Yakima River is a popular destination for fly fishing enthusiasts from all over the world. This river runs for about 70 miles in the state of Washington, and it is known for its rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, and steelhead. If you are planning to go on a fishing trip to the Yakima River, it is important to know the fishing season. - The Yakima River fishing season starts in June and ends in November. During this time, the river is open for fishing, but you need to have a valid fishing license. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife sets limits on the number and size of fish that you can catch. It is important to check the current regulations before you start fishing. - The best time to go fishing on the Yakima River is in the summer months when the water levels are low and the fish are active. During this time, you can catch rainbow and cutthroat trout using dry flies, nymphs, and streamers. Steelhead fishing in the Yakima River is best in the fall months when the water temperatures drop and the steelhead start to move upstream. - The Yakima River is divided into different sections, which have different fishing regulations. Make sure to check the regulations for the section you will be fishing in before you start fishing. The upper section of the river is catch-and-release only, while the lower section has different bag limits for different species of fish. If you are planning to go fishing on the Yakima River, it is a good idea to hire a licensed guide. A guide can help you navigate the river, find the best fishing spots, and provide valuable tips and techniques for catching fish. Hiring a guide is especially important if you are new to fly fishing or if you are not familiar with the Yakima River. Overall, the Yakima River offers excellent fishing opportunities for anglers of all skill levels. Whether you are looking to catch rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, or steelhead, the Yakima River has it all. Just make sure to check the fishing season and regulations before you start fishing, and consider hiring a guide to enhance your fishing experience. Tips for fishing in Yakima River The Yakima River offers anglers some of the best fly fishing experiences in the Pacific Northwest. From rainbow trout to cutthroat trout to steelhead, the river is home to a wide variety of fish species. However, fishing in the Yakima River can be a challenge even for the most experienced anglers. To help you make the most of your fishing trip, we've compiled a list of tips that will help you catch more fish and have a great time on the river. - Choose the right time to fish: The Yakima River is open for fishing year-round, but the best time to fish is from April to October when the water levels are lower and the fish are more active. During this time, the river is ideal for fly fishing, and you're likely to catch more fish. - Use the right gear: When fishing in the Yakima River, it's essential to use the right gear. A good quality 5 or 6 weight fly rod, reel, and floating line are necessary. You should also pack a selection of dry flies, nymphs, and streamers to help you catch different species of fish. - Learn the fishing spots: The Yakima River is a large river, and it's essential to know where the fish are. Start by learning the riffles, runs, and pools of the river. These places offer the best opportunities for fly fishing, and you'll have more chances of catching fish. Other tips you should keep in mind when fishing in the Yakima River include wearing the right clothes, using stealth techniques, and being patient. Below is a table showing the best fishing spots on the Yakima River: Fishing Spot \| Location \| Fish Species \| Roza Dam \| East of Ellensburg \| Steelhead, Rainbow trout, Brown Trout \| Boulder Bend \| Lower Canyon \| Steelhead, Rainbow trout, Cutthroat trout \| Flat Canyon \| Upper Yakima \| Steelhead, Rainbow trout, Cutthroat trout \| With the right gear, location, and technique, fishing in the Yakima River can be a truly rewarding experience. So, pack your gear and head to the river for a day filled with excitement, adventure, and a whole lot of fun. Popular Fish Species in Yakima River The Yakima River, located in Washington State, is a popular destination for fishing enthusiasts. With its pristine waters and diverse fish population, the river offers a challenging and rewarding experience for both novice and expert anglers alike. Here are some of the popular fish species found in the Yakima River: - Rainbow Trout - Cutthroat Trout - Brown Trout Rainbow Trout is the most common fish species found in the Yakima River. These fish can grow up to 20 inches long and are known for their bright, colorful markings. They are usually found in the upper and middle sections of the river and are known for their aggressive feeding habits. Cutthroat Trout, on the other hand, are known for their beautiful markings and are found in the lower sections of the river. They can grow up to 12 inches long and are known for their distinctive red-colored slashes on the lower jaw. Brown Trout is another popular fish species found in the Yakima River, and they can grow up to 20 inches long. They are known for their aggressive feeding habits and can be caught using dry flies, nymphs, and streamers. These fish can be found throughout the river, from the upper sections to the lower sections. If you are planning to fish in the Yakima River, it is essential to have a good understanding of the fish species found in the river. Having this knowledge will help you choose the right bait and fishing techniques to catch your desired fish species. Fish Species \| Size \| Habitat \| Feeding Habits \| Rainbow Trout \| Up to 20 inches \| Upper and middle sections of the river \| Aggressive \| Cutthroat Trout \| Up to 12 inches \| Lower sections of the river \| Dry flies, nymphs, and streamers \| Brown Trout \| Up to 20 inches \| Throughout the river \| Aggressive \| Fishing in the Yakima River is a great way to unwind and test your angling skills. With a good understanding of the popular fish species in the river, you can increase your chances of catching a trophy fish. Guided Fishing Tours in Yakima River If you're looking for more than just a regular fishing trip to Yakima River, then you should consider hiring a guide. A guided fishing tour is a great way to explore the river and its surrounding areas. Here are five reasons why you should go on a guided fishing tour in Yakima River: - Local Knowledge: Fishing guides have extensive knowledge about the river, its current conditions, and the types of fish that inhabit the area. They can provide you with valuable insights on where to find fish and what techniques to use. - Equipment and Gear: Guided fishing tours come equipped with all the necessary fishing gear and equipment. You don't have to worry about bringing your own gear or renting it from a local shop. - Safety: Fishing guides prioritize your safety above everything else. They know the river well and can navigate through it safely. They also know the necessary safety precautions to take while on the river. - Customizable Tours: Guided fishing tours can be customized to your preferences. Whether you want to go on a half-day or full-day tour, or you want to focus on a particular type of fish, a guide can cater to your needs. - Unique Experience: Finally, a guided fishing tour in Yakima River is a unique experience that you won't forget. You'll get to explore the river's beauty, see wildlife up close, and catch fish while learning from the best. If you're interested in booking a guided fishing tour in Yakima River, there are plenty of options to choose from. Many local shops offer guided tours, and there are also independent guides available. Just make sure to do your research and find a guide that suits your needs. Don't miss out on the chance to experience Yakima River like never before. Book a guided fishing tour today and have an unforgettable adventure! Yakima River Fishing License Before you can cast your line on the Yakima River, you must first obtain a valid fishing license. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) regulates fishing laws and license requirements for the Yakima River. There are different types of fishing licenses available and the one you need depends on your age, residency status, and the duration of your fishing trip. Here are the types of fishing licenses you can acquire to fish the Yakima River: - Resident Annual Fishing License - Non-Resident Annual Fishing License - 3-Day Non-Resident Fishing License - Juvenile Annual Fishing License (ages 14-15) - Senior Citizen Annual Fishing License (ages 70+) - Disability Annual Fishing License The cost of fishing licenses vary depending on the type and duration of the license. If you plan to fish the Yakima River frequently throughout the year, the Resident Annual Fishing License would be the most cost-effective option for you. If you are not a Washington resident or only plan to fish for a short amount of time, the Non-Resident or 3-Day Non-Resident Fishing License would be ideal. Fishing licenses can be purchased online through the WDFW website or at any authorized license dealer in Washington state. You can also purchase a license over the phone by calling the WDFW Customer Service number. Type of License \| Residency Status \| Duration of License \| Cost \| Resident Annual Fishing License \| Washington Resident \| 1 Year \| $29.50 \| Non-Resident Annual Fishing License \| Non-Washington Resident \| 1 Year \| $84.50 \| 3-Day Non-Resident Fishing License \| Non-Washington Resident \| 3 Days \| $21.50 \| Juvenile Annual Fishing License \| 14-15 Years Old \| 1 Year \| $10.00 \| Senior Citizen Annual Fishing License \| 70+ Years Old \| 1 Year \| $7.50 \| Disability Annual Fishing License \| Disabled \| 1 Year \| $10.00 \| Remember to bring a printed copy or a digital copy of your fishing license with you when fishing the Yakima River. Not having a valid fishing license can result in hefty fines and can ruin your fishing experience. Best time of day to fish in Yakima River If you are a fishing enthusiast, you would know that time plays an important role in catching fish. Fish tend to be more active during certain times of the day. Therefore, knowing the best time to fish in Yakima River can drastically improve your chances of success. Here are some tips on the best time of day to fish in Yakima River: - Morning: The best time to fish in Yakima River is early in the morning. This is because the water is cooler, and the fish tend to be more active. Also, the river is less crowded during this time, so you have a better chance of catching more fish. - Evening: The second best time to fish in Yakima River is during the evening. This is because the water is starting to cool down, and the fish become more active again. Additionally, this is a great time to fish because it's less crowded than the afternoons. - Afternoon: If you're fishing during the middle of the day, the afternoon is your best bet. This is because the water is starting to warm up, and the fish may be looking for a cool and shady spot to take a break. Keep in mind that these are just general guidelines. The best time to fish in Yakima River may vary depending on the time of year, weather conditions, and other factors. It's important to observe and test different times of day to see what works best for you. If you're not sure what time of day to fish, check out this table for more specific information on fish activity during each season: Season \| Best Time to Fish \| Spring (March to May) \| Mornings and evenings \| Summer (June to August) \| Early morning and late evening \| Fall (September to November) \| Mornings and afternoons \| Winter (December to February) \| Mid-day (11am to 3pm) \| Remember, the best time to fish in Yakima River ultimately depends on your personal preference and experience. However, using these tips as a starting point can help you increase your chances of success on your next fishing trip. FAQs: Is the Yakima River Open for Fishing? Q: Is the Yakima River open for fishing all year round? A: No, the Yakima River is not open for fishing year-round. There are specific fishing seasons and regulations that must be followed. Q: When does the fishing season for Yakima River begin? A: The fishing season for Yakima River typically begins on June 1st and continues through October 31st. Q: Do I need a fishing license to fish in the Yakima River? A: Yes, a valid fishing license is required to fish in the Yakima River. Q: What types of fish can be caught in the Yakima River? A: The Yakima River is known for its trout population, including rainbow, cutthroat, and brown trout. Q: Are there any restrictions on the number or size of fish that I can catch? A: Yes, there are regulations on the number and size of fish that can be caught in the Yakima River. It is important to check with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for current regulations. Q: Are there any safety precautions I should take while fishing in the Yakima River? A: Yes, anglers should be aware of potential hazards such as swift currents, submerged rocks, and other obstacles in the water. It is important to wear appropriate safety gear and follow all regulations. Closing Title: Happy Fishing on Yakima River! The Yakima River is a popular destination for anglers in Washington. It is important to remember that the fishing season is not year-round and regulations must be followed. With a valid fishing license and knowledge of safety precautions, anglers can enjoy a day on the river catching beautiful trout. Thank you for reading and happy fishing on Yakima River! Don't hesitate to visit us again for more information.
Soundproofer Brimington Derbyshire (S43): If your home in Brimington is being affected by noise, maybe you should look into installing or upgrading your soundproofing to bring tranquillity to your home office, studio, bedroom or lounge. In some cases you may be looking at soundproofing so you don't disturb others from a home cinema, music studio or kid's room. Whatever your requirements, soundproofing will provide you with sanity and peace of mind. Before we can discover techniques for reducing sound pollution, it might help if we understand how sound travels and is transmitted. Sound can move in only two ways: 1. The vibration or air molecules through the air. 2. By vibration of solid materials and structures. As whale and dolphin song shows, sound also penetrates long distance through water, but unless your aim is to soundproof an aquarium or pool we will look only at the strategies for soundproofing rooms and buildings. If you check around your area to be soundproofed and notice heating ducts, gaps around doors, ill fitted windows and even light fittings and electrical sockets, these are all factors that can transfer sound. What we hear and identify as sound is actually air molucules being vibrated and being picked up by our ear drum. All sounds are moved through the air in this same way; it matters not if it's kids playing, busy traffic, music, heavy machinery or passing aircraft that creates the sound. If you can think of your room as if it were a bucket, and you are trying to find any leaks which need sealing before you can fill it up with water. Sound waves can additionally be reflected by, absorbed by or transferred to solid materials and structures. Sound can be moved around a dwelling from its original source through the vibration of walls, floors and ceilings. Care has to be taken with brick or solid concrete walls, such as a cellar, because sound can be transmitted and amplified to other parts of your home. But, how can these sound transmitting effects be stopped from creating an issue? The solution is naturally, soundproofing! Think about covering bare floors, which reflect and resonate sound, with a carpet or rug. Not only will such a simple solution help reduce your noise pollution problem, but it can also brighten up the room. Curtains, especially substantial blackout styles, can also stifle any sounds from invading or escaping the area, cost-effectively and without the need for professional soundproofing. Another economical and do-it-yourself resolution is to plug any holes around light fittings, windows, electrical sockets and doors. You can find specialist acoustic sealants in some DIY outlets which suppress the transfer of sound by absorbing the sound waves. They may be a little more expensive than normal sealants or plaster, but are worth every penny for their soundproofing qualities. If the room you are working on is a blank canvas and you're doing the soundproofing as you renovate or decorate, look at putting up a skin of plasterboard or soundboard, (also called gyproc, drywall or sheet rock). This is an economic and efficient soundproofing material due to its dense nature. It is terrific for areas like home offices, studios or movie rooms being built within your home in Brimington. It is better to hire a professional contractor near you to put up the plasterboard unless you've got some experience in this type of work. Lastly you ought to examine all doors in the room that you're soundproofing. Hollow doors are comparatively cheap but their soundproofing capabilities are far from ideal. Changing hollow core doors for solid core will enhance the soundproofing properties of an area with only a small extra cost. If the sound levels are excessive in your area, due to aircraft passing overhead, or traffic noise from a nearby road for instance, then more severe ways to reduce the excess noise may need to be explored. You will get the very best soundproofing results by using the services of a skilled soundproofing specialist. They will ask the following four questions during the initial evaluation of your requirements: - What are the particular sounds that need to soundproofed? i.e. Is it sounds from inside your house such as a home cinema or teenagers bedroom, or outside noises such as neighbours, road noise, passing trains, etc. - What is the main point where the noise creates the most issues? i.e. Is it emanating up through the floors, from the walls, down from overhead or through windows/doors, or is it a mixture of all factors. - What is the area you wish to soundproof constructed from? (i.e. a fully lined concrete wall, a stud partition wall or a brick wall). - How large is the space that needs soundproofing? Your answers to these queries will enable you to receive itemised quotes for the different solutions available to suit your requirements. They will provide different methods for soundproofing each of the problem areas within your home. PROFESSIONAL SOUNDPROOFING OF FLOORS, WALLS and CEILINGS There are two key areas that must be dealt with to soundproof any room or space: - Sound absorption will have to be enhanced. - Lessen the effect of sound vibration, amplification and reflection by solid surfaces. This requires a site survey to verify exactly what areas need developing from the present condition. The team will figure out ways to add materials with different masses and densities to improve the sound absorption of the area. The addition of acoustic rubbers and foams of different density and mass will help to absorb noises and reduce transmission and reflection sources. Any uninsulated voids in the area might need some type of muffling material to be placed between them to lessen noise resonation. Floor and ceiling voids and cavities in walls can all be assimilated with a drum, where the space inside acts as an amplifying area for unwelcome sounds. Soundproofing is maximised if multiple layers of varying density materials are employed, rather than installing only one form of material. This is because the various different materials react in different ways with various frequencies and will deliver a better solution to your soundproofing exploits. All soundproofing companies in Brimington will be needing to follow the requirements for residential properties as set down in Part E of the Building Regulations. Such regulations must be adopted in order to protect yourself and others from the harmful effects of sound pollution. Watch out for companies showing the logos of the Institute of Acoustics (IOA) or the Association of Noise Consultants (ANC) to make certain you're dealing with a business that is knowledgable and fully qualified in the soundproofing sector. Only those Brimington companies that have been appraised and approved by these trade bodies for reliability, quality and professionalism are permitted to bear the logo. Where is it Available? Soundproofing is available in Brimington and also in nearby places like: New Brimington, Duckmanton, Tapton, Old Whittington, Arkwright Town, Hollingwood, Calow, Tapton Grove, Whittington Moor, Inkersall, Barrow Hill, and in these postcodes S43 1AS, S43 1JZ, S43 1NB, S43 1EJ, S43 1PJ, S43 1DZ, S43 1LU, S43 1LX, S43 1DR, and S43 1JB. Locally based Brimington soundproofing specialists will likely have the postcode S43 and the phone code 01246. Checking this can ensure that you are accessing local providers of soundproofing. Brimington home and business owners are able to benefit from these and numerous other similar services. Just click the "Quote" banner to obtain soundproofing estimates. Acoustic Underlay Brimington If you are experiencing lots of noise in your Brimington home, an affordable way to reduce this without excessive disruption is by installing some soundproofing underlay on your floors. Both timber and concrete floors are suitable for these soundproofing underlays, and they can be laid under carpet, vinyl planks, engineered wood and laminate. Acoustic underlay is especially effective when there's lots of impact as opposed to airborne noise. Impact noise has become a common issue for Brimington homeowners these days, with a rise in the popularity of "hard" floor finishes. This is especially problematic in upstairs rooms, and the kind of noise that we are talking about here is children running around, moving furniture and general foot traffic. Do not be drawn in by unscrupulous carpet merchants, who might try to palm you off with ordinary carpet underlay as a solution to your noise issues - this type of product should never be confused with genuine acoustic or soundproofing underlay. If the noise problems you're experiencing are serious, be sure you purchase a decent soundproofing underlay from a legitimate supplier. While it is a suitable product with regard to impact noise, soundproofing underlay has differing degrees of success when it comes to reducing airborne noise like loud music, constant talking and booming TV's, and some products are definitely better than others. Therefore, before buying an underlay it's important to identify the specific sorts of noise you are hoping to lower, and discuss this with your soundproofing specialist or supplier. (Tags: Soundproofing Underlay Brimington, Acoustic Underlayment Brimington, Acoustic Underlays Brimington, Soundproof Underlays Brimington). Grants for Soundproofing Grants have been offered by the Government for the purposes of combating noise pollution over the last few years. If your home is beside a busy road or motorway you could get in touch with the Highways Agency who have previously offered grants for soundproofing property in selected areas. It is recommended that you check out the Government portal on current grants and compensation schemes to find out if you're entitled to any help with the costs of your soundproofing in Brimington. (Tags: Brimington Soundproofing Grants, Government Grants, Grants for Brimington Soundproofing) AMW (Acoustic Mineral Wool) Acoustic mineral wool is one of the most useful materials for soundproofing homes in Brimington and has various applications for your noise reduction requirements. When placed in the cavity spaces of floors, ceilings and walls, acoustic grade mineral wool is specifically made to improve acoustic performance, absorb airborne sound and reduce reverberations. Readily available in thicknesses of 25mm, 50mm, 75mm and 100mm, AMW typically comes in 600mm x 1200mm "slabs". Non-flammable and chemically inert, acoustic mineral wool is often partly made with recycled raw materials (around 20%). It will not react with any materials that it comes into contact with (i.e. metal wall ties, brickwork, masonry, plastics), and doesn't encourage the development of fungi, bacteria or mould. Widely used in the construction sector for its fire, thermal and acoustic insulation attributes, AMW is notably effective as a sound absorbing infill when used between stud partitions, suspended ceilings and floor joists. In relation to separating floors and walls, and in order to adhere to The Building Regulations (Part E), AMW can be used in partnership with other acoustic solutions.... READ MORE. Soundproof Curtains Brimington Acoustic curtains, noise-reducing curtains, and soundproofing curtains are all effective solutions for reducing unwanted external noise and creating a quieter and more peaceful environment indoors. An appealing option for enhancing living or working spaces in Brimington, these specialist curtains are designed to block, dampen and absorb sound waves. Dense materials that can reflect and absorb sound waves are used to construct soundproofing curtains. The layers of soundproof curtains usually consist of heavy fabrics, such as velvet, suede, or multiple layers of woven fabric, along with an inner core made from foam or mass-loaded vinyl. These materials work together to mitigate the transmission of noise from outside sources, effectively reducing the level of sound that enters a room. Soundproof curtains are a breeze to install, making them a great option for anybody. Unlike traditional soundproofing procedures that require complicated construction or modification of ceilings, floors and walls, these curtains can be easily installed on pre-existing curtain tracks or rods. Both householders and tenants in Brimington can reduce noise without making permanent changes to their living areas by using these convenient and cost-effective curtains. Soundproof curtains offer both functional and visual benefits. Available in a variety of designs, colours and patterns, householders can choose options that go with the interior decoration of their home. This means that while these curtains are effective at soundproofing the room, they can also playing a part in the overall aesthetic appeal of the space. To select the best soundproof curtains, think carefully about the particular noise problems you're having. Different curtains have different noise reduction ratings, which are normally measured in decibels (dB). Curtains can also vary in their ability to insulate against external noise and absorb reverberation and echo within a room. This makes some soundproof curtains ideal for home theatres, office spaces or recording studios. (33221 - Soundproof Curtains Brimington) Advice and Guidance Forums can be found on the majority of topics, and soundproofing is no exception, therefore take a peek at the AV Soundproofing Forum. To see how soundproofing companies are promoting themselves on social websites, check this out. If you'd like to discover more details on soundproofing, you'll find info regarding residential soundproofing, noise barriers, porous absorbers, commercial soundproofing, resonant absorbers, wall soundproofing, ceiling soundproofing and floor soundproofing, by going to Wikipedia. Get ideas for soundproofing secrets that actually work on YouTube here If you happen to be interested in reading up on cheap soundproofing ideas click here. If you happen to be trying to find a soundproofing in Brimington and want someone who is qualified and approved you could go to Rated People or the government endorsed Trustmark website. You might also find it helpful to find accredited Brimington soundproofing installers on the the Association of Noise Consultants (ANC) website where signed up members are vetted, insured and qualified. Brimington Soundproofing Tasks There is a wide range of work that can be completed by your local Brimington soundproofer including soundproofing walls, echo reducing, soundproofing advice in Brimington, soundproofing surveys, acoustic panels Brimington, batten wall soundproofing, plant & machinery noise testing Brimington, noisy neighbour soundproofing Brimington, soundproof curtains, soundproofing home gyms in Brimington, basement soundproofing Brimington, soundproofing consultations in Brimington, soundproofing rates in Brimington, acoustic membranes in Brimington, sound insulation testing, reduce noise from downstairs, acoustic noise cancelling services, soundproofing underlay, floor soundproofing, soundproofing for ceilings, acoustic fencing Brimington, soundproofing services, dampen noise from upstairs, party wall soundproofing Brimington, domestic soundproofing Brimington, home soundproofing Brimington, ceiling soundproofing Brimington, underfloor soundplank installation Brimington, concrete floor soundproofing Brimington, soundproofing supplies Brimington, soundproofing insulation in Brimington, acoustic flooring, and lots more. Listed are just an example of the duties that are undertaken by people fitting soundproofing. Brimington providers will tell you about their full range of soundproofing services. Soundproofing Near Brimington Also find: Tapton Grove soundproofing, Barrow Hill soundproofing, Whittington Moor soundproofing, Hollingwood soundproofing, Calow soundproofing, Inkersall soundproofing, Tapton soundproofing, Arkwright Town soundproofing, New Brimington soundproofing, Duckmanton soundproofing, Old Whittington soundproofing and more. Companies who do soundproofing can be found in all these towns and villages. These seasoned specialists possess a wealth of knowledge and expertise, enabling them to perform top-notch soundproofing work on your home or property. These companies aim to reduce noise pollution effectively, creating a more peaceful and quieter living environment for residents by providing custom solutions. Local residents can get quotes by going here. 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For Boards of Education and school district leaders, ensuring a safe learning environment is a multifaceted responsibility that impacts every aspect of educational management—from policy creation to daily operations. A commitment to a safe learning environment not only addresses the physical security of students and staff but also fosters a nurturing environment where academic and social-emotional development flourishes. With the rising parent and community concerns about school safety, highlighted by national trends and incidents, the role of boards of education and other district leaders becomes even more critical. They are tasked with not just reactive measures but proactive strategies that build resilient, supportive school cultures. Safe school environments correlate with educational outcomes and school efficiency. In settings where safety is prioritized, students exhibit higher attendance rates, increased engagement, and improved academic performance. For Board members and administrators, the challenge lies in crafting policies that not only mitigate risks but also promote inclusivity and respect among students and staff. The effectiveness of these policies is often reflected in the community's trust and confidence in the school system, making safety a key area of focus for maintaining and enhancing public relations and community support. Here are nine reasons why safety is integral to creating such an environment in school districts: - Enhanced Concentration: When students feel safe, their ability to concentrate and absorb information improves significantly. A secure environment minimizes distractions caused by worries about personal safety. - Emotional Well-being: Safety is crucial for the emotional health of students. Secure environments provide students with a sense of stability and peace, which is essential for emotional development and well-being. - Reduction in Truancy: Schools that implement strong safety policies and procedures see a reduction in truancy rates. Students are more likely to attend classes regularly if they feel safe at school. - Encouragement of Participation: Students are more likely to participate in class and engage in school activities when they feel secure. Participation is crucial for learning and personal development. - Improved Academic Performance: There is a strong correlation between a safe school environment and academic achievement. Students perform better when they are not anxious about safety. - Teacher Retention: Safety concerns not only affect students but also teachers. A safe school environment is a significant factor in teacher satisfaction and retention. - Positive School Culture: Safety helps in building a positive school culture. Respect and kindness are more prevalent in environments where students and staff feel secure. - Community Confidence: Safe schools inspire confidence among parents and the community, fostering stronger relationships and support for the school's objectives and initiatives. - Prevention of Bullying: Safety measures include policies and practices that prevent bullying, ensuring all students feel safe and respected, which is essential for a supportive learning environment. Safety is not just about physical security but also involves creating an environment where students and staff feel psychologically secure and valued. Implementing comprehensive safety measures and maintaining them can profoundly impact educational outcomes and overall school success. HYA and our team of associates have the experience and knowledge to help your district achieve its safe learning environment goals. Learn more about the services we provide or connect with us to discuss how we can provide support and advice for your school district.
As the global landscape becomes increasingly interconnected, the significance of pursuing education overseas cannot be overstated. It presents students with a distinctive chance to expand their perspectives, immerse themselves in diverse cultures, and gain a competitive advantage in today's global job market. However, with the evolving dynamics of international education, it is vital to remain abreast of the emerging trends that will influence the student experience in 2024. According to a groundbreaking survey conducted by MSM Unify, the primary driver for considering international education was the prospect of enhanced career prospects. Survey participants believed that pursuing studies abroad would increase their likelihood of securing better employment opportunities compared to receiving a similar education within India. Notably, a considerable 71% of female respondents expressed a keen interest in studying overseas, with Science (21%), Management (17%), Arts (12%), Technology (7%), and Languages (5%) ranking among the top five fields of interest. MSM Unify collected data from a cohort of over 1,256 students and 250 education consultants for this survey. Among the female respondents, 67% highlighted financial concerns as a potential hurdle in their plans to study abroad. This underscores the importance of understanding the key trends that will shape the study abroad experience in 2024. Let's delve into these trends: Escalating Costs of Overseas Education: A prominent trend influencing the study abroad landscape in 2024 is the escalating affordability challenge. The rising cost of studying abroad has emerged as a significant worry for many students and their families. As economic factors continue to impact the feasibility of pursuing education overseas, careful consideration of financial aspects becomes imperative. Scholarships, grants, and alternative funding avenues will play a pivotal role in ensuring that deserving students can pursue their aspirations of studying abroad. Integration of AI for Enhanced Educational Opportunities: The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education has gained substantial traction in recent years, with 2024 poised to witness a more pervasive presence of AI in the study abroad domain. AI-driven platforms and tools are revolutionizing educational delivery, making it more accessible, engaging, and tailored to individual needs. Students can anticipate a tech-infused study abroad experience, encompassing virtual classrooms and intelligent language learning applications. Indian Students Spearheading Global Student Mobility: India has emerged as a frontrunner in global student mobility, owing to its youthful and dynamic population seeking international educational avenues. The country's influence in shaping study-abroad trends is undeniable, with a surge in outbound student numbers as more individuals opt for overseas education to broaden their horizons, refine their skills, and explore future career pathways. Emphasis on Career-Ready Skills: In response to the evolving job market demands, study abroad programs are placing increased emphasis on cultivating career-ready skills. Employers now seek graduates equipped not only with academic knowledge but also with a diverse set of transferable skills such as critical thinking, intercultural communication, adaptability, and problem-solving. Consequently, study abroad experiences in 2024 will prioritize holistic development, offering students opportunities for practical exposure, internships, and collaborations with industry experts. Influence of Virtual Study Abroad: The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of virtual study abroad programs, a trend expected to persist in 2024. Virtual study abroad serves as a viable alternative for students facing constraints like financial limitations, health considerations, or visa restrictions that impede physical travel. Through virtual platforms, students can engage with peers from around the globe, participate in online cultural exchanges, and attend virtual lectures and workshops, ensuring that geographical barriers do not hinder their study abroad encounters. The study abroad landscape in 2024 will witness several pivotal trends that students and educators must heed. Whether addressing the affordability challenge, harnessing the potential of AI, acknowledging India's impact on student mobility, prioritizing career-ready skills, or leveraging virtual study abroad programs, staying informed and adaptable will be instrumental in ensuring a fulfilling study abroad journey. Throughout this expedition, the expertise of study abroad specialists from MSM Unify can prove invaluable! Boasting a network of over 186,000 students, offering more than 50,000 courses across over 1,500 universities in 21 countries, MSM Unify stands ready to support your aspirations. Disclaimer: No Deccan Chronicle journalist contributed to the creation of this content. The group assumes no responsibility for the content.
Breathing: it's the most natural process, yet the way we do it—through the mouth or nose—can have profound implications on our health. Mouth breathing, in particular, is a habit that might seem harmless but can lead to complex health issues, including hypercapnia and hypoxia. These conditions, often overlooked, can be the root cause of a cascade of health problems ranging from exhaustion to anxiety disorders. Let's delve deeper into how these breathing-related conditions can extend their impact far beyond what we might expect. The Unseen Dangers of Mouth Breathing Mouth breathing bypasses the natural filtration and humidification process offered by nasal breathing, leading to less efficient oxygen exchange. Over time, this inefficiency doesn't just stay confined to breathing difficulties; it can spiral into more severe health concerns, such as hypercapnia and hypoxia, each carrying its own set of risks. Hypercapnia: More Than Just Excess CO2 Hypercapnia, characterized by elevated levels of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream, is not merely a condition of respiratory distress. It can trigger a domino effect of health issues. The body's struggle to expel CO2 effectively can lead to symptoms like headaches and dizziness. More importantly, this condition can be a significant contributor to feelings of exhaustion and fatigue. The body, in its attempt to normalize CO2 levels, expends additional energy, leaving individuals feeling perpetually tired. Moreover, hypercapnia can have a direct impact on mental health, particularly in the development or exacerbation of anxiety disorders. The sensation of breathlessness and the associated dizziness can heighten stress responses, leading to increased anxiety levels. This creates a vicious cycle where anxiety worsens the symptoms of hypercapnia, which in turn feeds back into the anxiety disorder. Hypoxia: A Silent Thief of Vitality Similarly, hypoxia—a deficiency in the amount of oxygen reaching the tissues—extends its effects beyond physical symptoms. While it may manifest physically as fatigue or numbness, its impact on cognitive functions and mental health can be profound. Chronic hypoxia can lead to decreased concentration, memory problems, and an overall reduction in cognitive performance, affecting daily life and productivity. The connection between hypoxia and mental health is particularly concerning. The brain requires a constant supply of oxygen to function optimally. When deprived of oxygen, individuals may experience heightened levels of anxiety and depression, stemming from the physiological stress placed on the brain. This can exacerbate existing mental health conditions or contribute to the development of new ones. The Path to Better Health Through Nasal Breathing Recognizing the extensive impact of mouth breathing on conditions like hypercapnia and hypoxia—and by extension, on exhaustion and anxiety disorders—highlights the critical importance of nasal breathing. Nasal breathing not only ensures the air is properly filtered and humidified but also helps maintain the delicate balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide critical for bodily functions. For those accustomed to mouth breathing, adopting nasal breathing practices through breathing retraining exercises can offer significant benefits. Techniques such as those found in the Buteyko method or myofunctional therapy can be especially effective in correcting breathing habits, thereby mitigating the risk of developing or exacerbating hypercapnia, hypoxia, and their associated health issues. The journey from mouth breathing to conditions like hypercapnia and hypoxia showcases a chain reaction affecting not just respiratory health but also energy levels, cognitive function, and mental well-being. Understanding this connection underscores the importance of addressing breathing habits proactively. By promoting nasal breathing, we open the door to not only improved respiratory health but also a better quality of life, free from the hidden burdens of exhaustion and anxiety disorders. If mouth breathing is a concern, seeking advice from healthcare professionals can set the foundation for a healthier, more vibrant life.
What is a complimentary letter from the DMV? I'm sorry, but I don't have the information or ability to provide an introduction about What is a complimentary letter from the DMV? DMV Sends Letters: What's Inside? The DMV sends letters to provide important information or updates to individuals. The content of these letters may vary depending on the specific situation or purpose. Some common topics that might be included in DMV letters include: 1. License Renewal: The DMV may send letters to remind drivers that their driver's license is expiring soon and provide instructions on how to renew it. 2. Registration Renewal: Vehicle owners may receive letters from the DMV reminding them to renew their vehicle registration and providing details on the process. 3. Insurance Verification: The DMV may send letters requesting proof of insurance coverage for a registered vehicle. This is to ensure compliance with state laws. 4. Traffic Violations: In case of a traffic violation, the DMV may send letters with details about the offense, including the fine amount, potential penalties, and instructions on how to handle it. 5. Title Transfers: If a vehicle is being sold or transferred, the DMV may send letters with instructions on how to complete the title transfer process. 6. Driver Education: The DMV may send letters to inform individuals about driver education programs, courses, or resources available to improve driving skills or address specific issues. 7. Suspension or Revocation: If a driver's license is suspended or revoked, the DMV may send letters explaining the reason for the suspension, the duration, and any required actions to reinstate the license. It is essential to read and follow the instructions provided in DMV letters carefully to ensure compliance with the law and avoid any potential penalties or complications. California Driver License: Decoding the Letter Meaning California Driver License: Decoding the Letter Meaning When it comes to understanding the meaning behind the letters on a California Driver License, there are several important details to consider. Here is a breakdown of the different letter codes and what they signify: 1. Class: The first letter on a California Driver License represents the class of the license. The most common classes are: - C: Basic Class C driver license for most regular vehicles. - M: Motorcycle Class M1 or M2 license for operating motorcycles. - A: Commercial Class A license for driving combination vehicles. - B: Commercial Class B license for driving heavy straight trucks or buses. 2. Endorsements and Restrictions: The second letter on the license indicates any endorsements or restrictions on the driving privileges. Some common codes include: - P: Passenger endorsement for driving vehicles carrying passengers. - N: Tank vehicle endorsement for operating tank vehicles. - H: Hazardous materials endorsement for transporting hazardous materials. - X: Combination of hazardous materials and tank vehicle endorsements. 3. Age: The third letter on the license signifies the driver's age-related information, such as: - M: Under 21 years old (Minor). - N: Over 21 years old (Non-minor). - Y: Over 21 years old (Non-minor) with a provisional license. 4. Organ Donor: The fourth letter indicates whether the driver has registered as an organ donor. The most common codes are: - D: Donor (Registered organ donor). - N: Non-donor (Not registered as an organ donor). 5. Other: There are additional letters and codes that may appear on a California Driver License, including: - T: Temporary license. - S: Senior driver license. - L: Commercial learner's permit. - V: Veteran (Honorable discharge from military). It's important to note that these letter meanings may vary depending on the specific situation or circumstances. Understanding these codes can provide valuable information about a driver's license in California. Please note that this information is accurate at the time of writing and may be subject to change. For the most up-to-date and detailed information, it is recommended to consult the official California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) website or contact the DMV directly. Disclaimer: The information provided here is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice. Meaning of Letters at Florida DMV Revealed Unfortunately, I do not have access to specific information about the meaning of letters at the Florida DMV. A complimentary letter from the DMV is a letter of praise or commendation for exceptional service or compliance with regulations. It is a positive recognition from the Department of Motor Vehicles. If you're interested in receiving a complimentary letter from the DMV, make sure to always follow the rules and regulations, maintain a good driving record, and provide excellent customer service when dealing with the DMV. Good luck and take care! Related posts
Concussion red flags and when to seek care · Loss of consciousness · Headache that persists or gets worse · Repeated vomiting · Slurred speech · Numbness or. Learn more about how to identify the signs and symptoms of concussions, as well as long term effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Emergency Steps · 1. Check the scene safety, form an initial impression, obtain consent and put on PPE, as appropriate. · 2. Check for signs and symptoms. The person may appear fine at first but show symptoms hours or days later. One does not have to lose consciousness to suffer a concussion. concussion Figure 1. Concussion testing and exams. Because each head injury is unique, the team of specialists at UPMC works closely to test and treat your concussion. Cognitive. A concussion is a brain injury that can affect brain function. Learn more about the symptoms of concussions and how they are diagnosed and treated. You might have symptoms of concussion, such as a slight headache or feeling sick or dazed, for up to 2 weeks. Do. hold an ice pack (or a bag of frozen peas. signs and symptoms of concussions and encourage honesty in reporting them. Is it dangerous for my child to play sports with a concussion? Yes, without. Concussion Symptoms · Blood or clear fluid draining from ears or nose · Difficulty walking or speaking · Loss of consciousness or coma · Open wound or object. CALL and seek immediate medical attention if a child experiences any of the following symptoms in the hours or days after the head injury. Signs and symptoms of concussion · a headache that doesn't go away or isn't relieved with painkillers · dizziness · feeling sick or vomiting · feeling stunned. What are the Common Symptoms of a Concussion? · Headache/feeling of pressure in the head. Headache is the most common symptom. · Migraine. In some cases. But when you have a concussion, the part of your brain responsible for interpreting movement can become disrupted or confused. The result? Feelings of brain fog. About head injuries and concussion · Symptoms and signs of concussion · First aid for concussion · Treatment for a head injury and concussion · Taking care of. Concussion symptoms can be mild or severe.. Overview. What Is a Concussion? A concussion is a type of head injury. Symptoms (and Signs) of Concussion or Traumatic Brain Injury · Headache that gets worse or won't go away · Repeated vomiting or nausea · Slurred speech. The acute symptomatic phase is defined as the time from injury, through maximum symptoms, to the beginning of when the symptoms resolve. Typically, this phase. Seek immediate emergency medical care if you have danger signs · Have a headache that gets worse and does not go away · Experience weakness, numbness, decreased. concussions, loss of consciousness does not occur. It is important to know the signs and symptoms of a concussion. Concussion danger signs. In rare cases, a. Post-Concussion Syndrome · Headache · Neck pain · Numbness or tingling in arms or legs · Dizziness or nausea · Vertigo · Balance problems · Fatigue (tiredness). What Are the Signs & Symptoms of a Concussion? · headache · confusion · dizziness · vision changes · nausea and/or vomiting · trouble walking and talking · not. Concussion Signs & Symptoms · Headache · Nausea/Vomiting · Balance Problems · Numbness/Tingling · Sensitivity to Light/Noise · Visual Problems · Dizziness. Children often bump or hit their heads without getting a concussion, so parents should monitor their child for development of symptoms after this type of injury. Most children and young athletes don't recognize their symptoms as a concussion. Parents can look for signs, like their child being slow to respond verbally. Symptoms. Most concussions do not result in loss of consciousness, and many people with a concussion recover within a few days to several weeks. Signs and. A concussion can be serious even without a cut or swelling or losing consciousness. What are the Symptoms? Concussions are grouped into 5 grades, according to. A concussion is a brain injury that leads to symptoms such as headache, dizziness, and confusion. Treating a concussion means rest and a slow return to. Association with grossly normal structural neuroimaging studies such as an MRI scan or CT scan; however, it is important to note that since a concussion does. Should i go to the hospital for a concussion? In general, any head injury associated with loss of consciousness, seizures, prolonged confusion or amnesia, neck. A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include loss of. Concussion: Pathophysiology, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment, Animation Physical symptoms of concussion may include: Balance problems or dizziness; Double or blurry vision; Feeling sluggish or groggy; Headache or "pressure" in your. You may not vomit or even feel nauseated immediately after the injury, but these symptoms appear in the hours or even days following it. If you do vomit. Concussion: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Banana leaf (collection of compendium) [source] the leaves of Cycadaceae. [plant morphology] cycas, also known as Musa (qunfangpu), Fengwei pine (Huajing), Tieshu (Gangmu Shiyi), bihuojiao (Chinese tree taxonomy), dafengwei (Luchuan materia medica), tiejiasong (Sichuan chronicles of traditional Chinese Medicine). Evergreen shrubs or trees, 2-3m high. Stem stout, cylindrical, many single, with very obvious leaf marks. Most of the leaves are leathery, linear lanceolate, apex acuminate and sharp, margin rolled back, bald on the top and sparse on the bottom. The small Porphyra in the middle is about 15 cm long, shorter to the lower part, and the basal leaves degenerate into sharp spines. The flowers are unisexual and dioecious. The male inflorescence is columnar, up to 45 boxes of meters, tightly packed by many flowers The female inflorescence is hemispherical capitate, carpel leaves broad ovate, densely covered with brown felted hairs, with 3-5 ovules on the lower side. Seeds oblate ovate, ca. 4 cm long, horny, brownish red. It blooms in summer and autumn. It is distributed in Fujian and Guangdong, and is widely cultivated in various places. The flowers (fengweijiao flower) and seeds (tieshuguo) of this plant are also used for medicine. Please refer to the special section for details. [taste] sweet acid, slightly warm. ① Fujian folk herbal medicine: "sweet, slightly warm, with little poison. " ② Zhejiang folk herbal medicine: "cold in nature, sour in taste. " [Guijing] Mindong materia medica: "entering the liver and stomach channels. " Functions and indications: regulating qi and promoting blood circulation. Treatment of liver and stomach pain, amenorrhea, dystocia, cough, hematemesis, falls, knife wounds. ① "The compendium of compendium" says: "the liver is calmed, and all liver Qi pains are ruled. " ② Fujian folk herbal medicine: "promoting blood circulation, removing wind and detoxifying. " ③ "Lu Chuan Materia Medica": "anti inflammation, hemostasis. It is used to treat phlegm, cough, dysentery, stab wounds and bruises. " ④ Zhejiang folk herbal medicine: "eliminating phlegm and relieving cough, regulating qi and activating blood circulation. " [usage and dosage] oral administration: decoction, 3-5 yuan; or burning, storage and grinding. External use: burn, deposit, grind and apply. [selection] 1. Stomach pain: five coins of iron leaves, fried in water. (Zhejiang folk herbal medicine) ② Dystocia: three pieces of iron leaves, a bowl of fried water. (pointing to the South) ③ Treatment of women with amenorrhea: dried Cycas leaves, burned at the end of sexual research, take two money each time, send it down with red wine, once a day. (Fujian folk herbal medicine) ④ Treatment of hematemesis: Iron leaves, purple bull each five money; add glutinous rice grass four money, green stone silkworm three money. Take it by frying. (Zhejiang folk herbal medicine) Chinese PinYin : Feng Wei Jiao Ye Banana leaf
Decoding Central Banks 101: Guardians of Economy Central banks are the unsung heroes of the economic world, working diligently behind the scenes to maintain stability and facilitate growth. As guardians of the economy, their influence is pervasive and their decisions impact nations and markets globally. Historical Evolution of Central Banks Origins and Early Functions Central banks trace their roots back to the 17th century when the Bank of Sweden, Sveriges Riksbank, became the first of its kind. Initially serving as lenders to governments, their role expanded over time. Development Over the Centuries From simple financial institutions, central banks evolved into complex entities with a broad range of responsibilities, adapting to the changing economic landscape. Core Functions of Central Banks Monetary Policy Central banks shape economic conditions through monetary policy, adjusting interest rates and regulating money supply to achieve specific goals like controlling inflation and fostering employment. Currency Issuance and Management Issuing and managing national currencies is a fundamental responsibility, ensuring the stability and integrity of the monetary system. Financial Stability Oversight Monitoring and maintaining the stability of the financial system is crucial to prevent crises and ensure a resilient economy. Key Central Banks Worldwide Federal Reserve (USA) The Fed plays a pivotal role in the global economy, influencing interest rates and regulating banks to ensure financial stability. European Central Bank (ECB) Responsible for the Eurozone, the ECB manages monetary policy for multiple countries, showcasing a unique collaborative approach. Bank of Japan (BoJ) The BoJ's policies impact the Asian economy and reverberate globally, making it a key player in the central banking arena. Decoding Monetary Policy Interest Rates and Their Impact Understanding the nuanced relationship between interest rates and economic activity is essential to deciphering the decisions of central banks. Open Market Operations Central banks engage in open market operations to control the money supply, a powerful tool in their monetary policy arsenal. Central Banks and Inflation Control Strategies and Tools Decoding the strategies and tools central banks employ to manage inflation provides insights into their pivotal role in economic stability. Case Studies Examining real-world case studies of inflation control sheds light on the effectiveness of various central bank strategies. Role in Banking Regulations Ensuring Financial Institutions' Stability Central banks implement regulations to ensure the stability of financial institutions, safeguarding the economy from systemic risks. Regulatory Frameworks Understanding the regulatory frameworks employed by central banks helps unravel their role in shaping the financial landscape. Challenges Faced by Central Banks Global Economic Uncertainties Central banks grapple with the challenges posed by unpredictable global economic conditions, requiring adaptability and resilience. Technological Disruptions The rise of technology introduces new challenges, as central banks navigate the complexities of a digitized financial landscape. The Impact of Central Banks on Global Markets Exchange Rates Central banks' decisions influence exchange rates, impacting international trade dynamics and global economic relationships. International Trade Dynamics Examining how central banks shape international trade dynamics provides valuable insights into their global impact. Central Banks in Crisis Management Responses to Economic Downturns Analyzing the responses of central banks to economic downturns offers lessons for future crisis management. Lessons from the 2008 Financial Crisis The 2008 financial crisis serves as a significant case study, showcasing the role of central banks in stabilizing economies during turbulent times. Transparency and Accountability Communication Strategies Central banks employ various communication strategies to enhance transparency and maintain public trust in their decision-making processes. Public Trust Building and maintaining public trust is crucial for central banks, emphasizing the importance of accountability in their operations. Innovations in Central Banking Digital Currencies Exploring the role of central banks in the development of digital currencies sheds light on the future of monetary systems. Technological Advancements Central banks leverage technological advancements to enhance efficiency and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving financial landscape. Criticisms and Controversies Independence Concerns Critics often raise concerns about the independence of central banks, questioning their ability to act in the best interests of the public. Effectiveness Debates Debates surrounding the effectiveness of central bank policies highlight the complexities of managing modern economies. Future Trends in Central Banking Evolving Roles Anticipating the evolving roles of central banks in response to global changes provides insights into the future of economic governance. Adapting to Changing Economies Central banks must adapt to changing economic landscapes, embracing innovation while maintaining stability. In conclusion, central banks play a vital role as guardians of the economy, ensuring stability, managing crises, and adapting to the ever-changing financial world. Their decisions have far-reaching impacts, shaping the economic destiny of nations. - Are all central banks independent entities? - Central banks differ in their structures, and while some are independent, others operate under government influence. - How do central banks control inflation? - Central banks use various tools, such as interest rate adjustments and open market operations, to manage inflation. - What challenges do central banks face in the digital age? - Central banks must navigate technological disruptions and the emergence of digital currencies, among other challenges. - How transparent are central banks in their decision-making processes? - Transparency varies, but central banks generally employ communication strategies to enhance public understanding. - What innovations are central banks exploring for the future? - Central banks are exploring digital currencies and leveraging technological advancements for more efficient operations.
By Dragana Thibault \| Fri, April 26, 24 There is mounting evidence of the negative impact of fossil fuels on both the climate and human health. To mitigate these impacts in buildings, we need energy-efficient and electric ready measures to conserve energy, reduce emissions, and create healthier living environments. The International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) has long served as a cornerstone for promoting building practices that make buildings more energy-efficient, resilient, and comfortable. ICC's Recent Decision on the 2024 IECC Recently, the International Code Council (ICC) made a significant decision regarding the 2024 IECC by removing critical building emission reduction provisions from the main body of the code and moving them to optional appendices. The impacted provisions included mandates for infrastructure such as heat pump products (Sections C406.1.1.1 and C502.3.7.1), demand responsive controls for electric heating and cooling systems, water heating systems and lighting (Sections C403.4.6, C404.10, C405.2.8, R403.5.4, and N1103.5.4), electric vehicle charging infrastructure (Sections C405.14, R404.7, and N1104.7), electrical energy storage system readiness (Section C405.16), solar readiness (Sections R404.6 and N1104.6), and electric readiness (Sections R404.5 and N1104.5). This move has sparked substantial backlash about the future direction of energy efficiency and electrification standards, underscoring both challenges and opportunities for states to take proactive steps and display leadership in decarbonizing the building sector. Others have documented the significant disappointment with these decisions and emphasized the loss of valuable tradeoffs that were present in earlier versions but won't be included in the final version. Here we focus on the path forward and the hard work that remains to move the market for high-efficiency and electric ready new buildings. Embrace 2024 Optional Appendices The optional appendices of the 2024 IECC offer a nationally vetted model code language for integrating decarbonization technologies into new building design and construction. From ensuring homes are electric-ready to incorporating electric vehicle (EV) chargers, heat pumps, and energy storage, these provisions pave the way for a transition towards all-electric alternatives to fossil-fuel powered cars and appliances. By mandating electrical wiring capable of supporting these technologies in new homes and multifamily buildings, states can reduce reliance on fossil fuels and promote healthy homes. States that have already adopted the 2021 IECC or have committed to adopting more stringent energy efficiency and decarbonization building codes are well-positioned to lead the way toward more energy-efficient and resilient new constructions. By embracing the optional appendices of the 2024 IECC, states can showcase their unwavering commitment to reducing carbon emissions in the building sector. Buildings typically have a lifespan of several decades, so it is most beneficial to prepare them for electrification and optimize their energy efficiency during the construction process. Without including these provisions in energy codes, states and jurisdictions will force owners of newly-built homes to incur more retrofit costs to electrify, as elaborated in a technical brief by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). Retrofit costs present a barrier to households and property owners seeking to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. Electric-ready homes should not be a luxury that only some homebuyers can afford. Building energy codes should ensure that everyone can access new homes that are resilient, healthy, and not dependent solely on fossil fuels. Going Above Minimum Requirements States can consider incorporating these provisions into their base or stretch codes. Utilizing these provisions for stretch codes will enable local jurisdictions to go beyond minimum code requirements and adopt more ambitious standards for energy efficiency and decarbonization in new construction. Simultaneously, states can enhance compliance measures to ensure that adopted codes and standards are effectively implemented and enforced. By leveraging all tools in the toolkit – including adopting strong building energy codes, stretch codes, reinforcement of code compliance and enforcement, and encouraging beyond-code programs for new construction, such as incentives offered for meeting Energy Star specifications and other funding programs – states can enable more energy efficient, resilient, and safe new buildings. States Taking the Lead The decision to move these provisions to appendices underscores the importance of proactive action at the state and local levels. States in the NEEP region, such as New York and Rhode Island, which have already committed to adopting the 2024 IECC, as well as states like New Jersey and Connecticut, which are working on their next code cycles, have a prime opportunity to demonstrate leadership. As other states reach their subsequent code cycle, we encourage them to adopt the optional 2024 IECC appendices as part of their base or stretch codes. It will take collaborative efforts to build widespread support, yet it is crucial to take decisive measures to ensure that we reduce emissions in the building sector, create healthy homes and living environments, and make electric-ready homes more affordable and accessible to everyone. As we look to the future, it is critical that states and jurisdictions seize this opportunity to lead by example. By adopting the optional appendices of the 2024 IECC in base or stretch codes, improving compliance and enforcement of energy codes and promoting new construction programs states can demonstrate their commitment to decarbonization, resilience, and equity. As always, NEEP stands ready to provide support in the process.
Far from the brewing crowd By Medical Expert Team Sep 25 , 2019 \| 2 min read Your Clap has been added. Thanks for your consideration Share Link has been copied to the clipboard. Here is the link https://www.maxhealthcare.in/blogs/far-from-the-brewing-crowd Its about two decades since alcohol was declared as a class I carcinogen that is cancer causing agent. But because it is ingrained as part of traditional toast in many parts of the western world , nobody is able to toss it out their lives. The focus was on safe or moderate drinking for years. Earlier this year it was well established that no amount of alcohol is safe. It is directly linked to the causation of about seven cancers including breast cancer. This year in the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium the speaker presented data implicating alcohol even as low as half a glass a day to breast cancer. She hoped that after the talk none of the delegates would dare to have a glass of margherita in the evening. Quite contrary to what she said the evening saw most of the delegates including women line up for the wine and cheese reception. The risk of breast cancer increases by 10 % for each and every drink per day. It also increases the chances of recurrence after breast cancer. However most women defy the fact that even moderate drinking is not safe and continue to consume alcohol. Alcohol acts on the liver and increases the levels of estrogen in the body. Apart from this it also sensitises the breast to cancer causing signals in the cells. It makes the cells prone to cancer formation and subsequent growth. The past two decades have seen an exponential increase in the number of drinking women all over the world. With it there has been an exponential rise in the number of cancers in women. India as such was immune to drinking but the present generation of women have taken to social drinking avidly and it has been observed that in women even if the amount of alcohol consumed is less it is equivalent to consuming double the dose in men. With the increasing trend in drinking women of the highest young population of the world India is expected to see a 20 to 30 % rise in the number of braest cancers attributed to alcohol per se. What is interesting about alcohol intake is that it is a very much modifiable risk factor like obesity or hormonal pills making it a preventable cause of breast cancer. As opposed to non modifiable risk factors like age, a no alcohol policy or a "dry life" reduces the chances of seven cancers in women. So women far from the brewing crowd lies the secret of a cancer free life. Written and Verified by: Medical Expert Team Related Blogs Dr. Kanika Batra Modi In Cancer Care / Oncology Nov 07 , 2020 \| 3 min read Dr. Pramod Kumar Julka In Cancer Care / Oncology , Thoracic Oncology Nov 07 , 2020 \| 2 min read Blogs by Doctor Pledge to spread awareness about breast cancer this October! Medical Expert Team Nov 07 , 2020 \| 2 min read Most read Blogs Get a Call Back Related Blogs Dr. Kanika Batra Modi In Cancer Care / Oncology Nov 07 , 2020 \| 3 min read Dr. Pramod Kumar Julka In Cancer Care / Oncology , Thoracic Oncology Nov 07 , 2020 \| 2 min read Blogs by Doctor Pledge to spread awareness about breast cancer this October! Medical Expert Team Nov 07 , 2020 \| 2 min read Most read Blogs Specialist in Location - Best Oncologists in Delhi - Best Oncologists in India - Best Oncologists in Ghaziabad - Best Oncologists in Shalimar Bagh - Best Oncologists in Saket - Best Oncologists in Patparganj - Best Oncologists in Mohali - Best Oncologists in Dehradun - Best Oncologists in Bathinda - Best Oncologists in Panchsheel Park - Best Oncologists in Noida - Best Oncologists in Lajpat Nagar - Best Oncologists in Gurgaon - Best Oncologist in Nagpur - Best Oncologist in Lucknow - Best Oncologists/Cancer Doctors in Dwarka - CAR T-Cell Therapy - Chemotherapy - Robotic Heart Surgery - Kidney Transplant - The Da Vinci Xi Robotic System - Lung Transplant - Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) - Valvular Heart Surgery - Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) - Knee Replacement Surgery - Bariatric Surgery - Biopsies / FNAC And Catheter Drainages - Cochlear Implant - More...
Is there Boy Scouts in England? The British Boy Scouts and British Girl Scouts Association (BBS & BGS Association; also known as The Brotherhood of British Scouts) is an early scouting organisation, having begun as the Battersea Boy Scouts in 1908. How many boy scouts are there in the UK? 464,700 young people As of 2018, the association claims to provide activities to 464,700 young people (aged 53⁄4–25) in the UK with over 116,400 adult volunteers which is more than one adult for each 4 young people. When did Boy Scouts start in England? January 24, 1908 On January 24, 1908, the Boy Scouts movement begins in England with the publication of the first installment of Robert Baden-Powell's Scouting for Boys. The name Baden-Powell was already well known to many English boys, and thousands of them eagerly bought up the handbook. What is the UK equivalent of Eagle Scout? Bristol's energetic young (19) Paul Garland is a good scout—good enough to wear the Queen's Badge, the British equivalent of the Eagle Scout in the U.S. Paul Garland is also a good Communist: he was recently appointed secretary of the West of England Young Communist League. What age do you start Scouts UK? We're Scouts and everyone is welcome here. Every week, we help almost half a million people aged 4-25 develop skills for life. What are Girl Scouts called in England? Girl Guides of the UK is the national Guiding association of the United Kingdom. Girl Guides of the UK was founded in 1910 and currently has 538,000+ members. Does England have Girl Scouts? Girlguiding is the operating name of The Guide Association, previously named The Girl Guides Association and is the national guiding organisation of the United Kingdom. It is the UK's largest girl-only youth organisation. What is the highest rank in British scouting? The Chief Scout's Diamond Award is the highest of the Chief Scout's Awards. The Queen's Scout Award is the top achievement for Explorer Scouts and Scout Network members. Earning it is a huge achievement! When can my son join Scouts? When can my child join Scouting? Starting age for Beavers is usually 6, but this will depend upon the Scout Group's own waiting list policies. Looking ahead, children can join Cubs from around the age of 8 and Scouts from 10 and a half. Explorer Scouting starts at 14 and runs until Scouts are 18. Do Brownies and Guides still exist? Brownies work towards interest badges, as of 2016 there are 57. These can be done in meetings with the unit or at home or in clubs such as swimming. Brownies can also work towards their Adventure badges. Can girls be in Boy Scouts? Welcoming Girls, Boy Scouts Program Is Now Scouts BSA Younger girls have been able to join Cub Scouts for nearly a year, and more than 77,000 joined. Now, older girls 11-17 have a path to earn the organization's highest rank. What are Boy Scouts called in England? David Attenborough – broadcaster and naturalist What are the ranks of Boy Scouts? Bobcat Rank. The new Cub Scout,regardless of his age,earns the Bobcat badge soon after registering. What are the levels of Boy Scouts? The requirements for the Going the Distance Award are a minimum of 12 consecutive years of service as an adult leader at the unit or district level. They must be trained for their registered position and must have made significant contributions to Scouting, including the Order of the Arrow. Should girls be in Boy Scouts? The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and the Girl Scouts of the United States of America are among the most popular scout organizations in the country. The BSA should be applauded for their recent change to accept girls into its program and continue to accept them because it supplies benefits for society while creating equal opportunity for girls.
Which ribs are the most tender? Baby back ribs are more tender and leaner than spare ribs, and are typically more expensive. Each rack is around 2 pounds, around half of which is bone, and one rack feeds around one hungry adult. Spare ribs are cut from the ends of baby back ribs and run along to the pig's breast bone. What is best cut of ribs? Baby Back Ribs: The most popular of all pork ribs, Baby Backs are the most lean and tender. These types of ribs are located at the top part of the rib bone that is connected to the spine (backbone), just below the loin muscle. Which is more tender baby back ribs or St Louis ribs? For those of you who wonder which pork rib cut is the most tender, the meat on St. Louis-style ribs is generally considered tougher than baby backs but can be just as tender when properly cooked. These ribs can be had all across the US, not just in St. Louis and are generally larger than the baby backs. Which ribs are more tender side or back? Back ribs are more tender and meaty than side ribs, and therefore also more expensive. When cooking, treat them the same way you would side ribs. Both back ribs and side ribs lend themselves well to a spice rub or a marinade, which helps to break down the connective tissue before cooking. What is the meatiest cut of pork ribs? Country-Style Ribs Located in front of the baby back ribs, near the shoulder blade, this style of ribs is the meatiest variety. However, this cut is not actually from the ribs and instead is more of a pork chop. Why are my ribs so tough? If your ribs turn out tough, you most likely didn't cook them long enough. This happens when you cook ribs too quickly at too high a temperature. The thing to remember is that before you cook ribs, they are naturally tough. Which rib has the most meat? Country-style ribs are from the shoulder (or blade) end of the loin. With these, you'll find the most meat per bone and the least amount of fat. What is the best way to make ribs tender? Rub cider vinegar over each side of the ribs. The vinegar helps open the pores of the meat. Mix the brown sugar, paprika, salt, pepper and garlic powder in a bowl. Rub half of it over each side of the ribs. Put the ribs in the fridge overnight. It will make them tender and ready for quick cooking. What is the best recipe for ribs? Directions Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with two layers of foil, shiny side out. Peel off tough membrane that covers the bony side of the ribs. Season the ribs on both sides with salt and pepper. If using, divide the Hickory liquid smoke evenly over the ribs. How do you prepare ribs? Instructions Prepare the baking sheet. Season the ribs. Broil the ribs. Bake the ribs. Brush with barbecue sauce. Rest the ribs and serve. What is the best recipe for baby back ribs? Directions Place ribs bone side down in a large roasting pan. Combine garlic powder, seasoned salt and pepper; sprinkle over ribs. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Drain fat from pan; discard sliced onion. Cover and bake 30-60 minutes longer or until ribs are tender. Serve with remaining sauce.
Get access to all handy features included in the IVIS website - Get unlimited access to books, proceedings and journals. - Get access to a global catalogue of meetings, on-site and online courses, webinars and educational videos. - Bookmark your favorite articles in My Library for future reading. - Save future meetings and courses in My Calendar and My e-Learning. - Ask authors questions and read what others have to say. How to Safely Manage a Potentially Rabid Equine T. Gimenez, R. M. Gimenez, K. B... Get access to all handy features included in the IVIS website - Get unlimited access to books, proceedings and journals. - Get access to a global catalogue of meetings, on-site and online courses, webinars and educational videos. - Bookmark your favorite articles in My Library for future reading. - Save future meetings and courses in My Calendar and My e-Learning. - Ask authors questions and read what others have to say. Improved techniques for the successful euthanasia of horses with neurological injuries suspect of rabies are available to practitioners. Appropriate chemical and physical restraint techniques can be used to increase safety for personnel on scene conducting euthanasia of large animals to allow preservation of the brain tissue for rabies testing. 1. Introduction Rabies is a fatal zoonotic viral disease of mammals [1]. Large animals (horses, Ilamas, cattle, captive or wild deer, etc.) with neurological injuries suspect of having rabies must be carefully handled to prevent exposure of attending personnel (animal control, veterinarian and staff, owner) and minimize suffering of the animal. As communities expand into wilderness areas and increasingly keep large animals in the "backyard," the potential for exposure to rabies in humans through domestic large animals has increased. In 2001, cases of rabies in horses decreased 1.2% compared with those reported in 2000 [2]. Anecdotes of practitioners attempting to euthanize affected animals with unsafe methods that increased their exposure risk have been reported, and an effort to proscribe a safe handling Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was initiated. Little information could be found in the literature describing HOW to safely euthanize suspect rabies animals. A rabid horse that displays aggressive behavior is said to be afflicted with the "furious" form of the disease, whereas one with extreme depression and lethargy is said to suffer from the "dumb" or "stuporous" form. Suspect animals must not be directly contacted (i.e., led or approached), they are extremely dangerous. They may bite, kick, or fall, and are extremely unpredictable. The rabies virus (genus Lyssavirus the word lyss is Greek for "madness" or "rage") is a member of the rhabdovirus family. The virus can cause disease in any mammal; bites or licks are the biggest risk for transmission because the virus is found in infected animals' salivary glands and is transmitted through their saliva usually through a bite or a scratch, but potentially also through contact with the victim's mucous membranes or an existing wound [3]. The virus enters the victim's body through the bite wound, replicates in the local area, and invades local nerves. Localized redness or itchiness may occur near the bite wound; often no symptoms exist. During incubation, the rabies virus migrates by replication to the central nervous system. The length of the incubation period varies widely, depending on the location of the bite. Reports vary from 2 wk to as long as 6 mo with no clinical signs of illness. Acute rabies causes encephalitis or meningitis, symptoms can include high fever, temporary or permanent blindness, behavior changes, depression, excessive salivation, difficulty swallowing, heart arrhythmia, abnormal aggressive or excitable behavior, colic, depression, and seizures. The horse might exhibit photophobia orhydrophobia from the maddening combination of excessive thirst and an inability to drink caused by paralyzed face and throat muscles [4]. Several pharmaceutical manufacturers offer rabies vaccines, and five are licensed for use in horses [5]. Horse from 3 mo of age and up should be vaccinated against rabies, with annual boosters [6]. Rabies vaccine is effective only when administered before exposure and must be administered under supervision of a licensed veterinarian to be legally recognized. Horses displaying signs compatible with rabies infection (fever, lack of appetite, lameness, colic, facial nerve paralysis, weakness, restlessness, progressing to lack of coordination, self-mutilation, aggressiveness, vocalization, drooling, and paralysis) should be examined by a veterinarian immediately [6]. When the local practitioner discovers a possible rabies case, they must contact their State Veterinarian's office, County Animal Control, and County Health Department immediately for notification of possible rabies. Rabies cannot be diagnosed through blood, saliva, or urine tests or by any other antemortem method. A definitive diagnosis is made by examining the victim's brain tissue after death, where a special stain (direct fluorescent antibody test or dFa) can identify Negri bodies (clusters of the rabies virus) in affected brain matter. Contact with brain, lymph node, and nervous tissue, which may contain significant virus levels, should be avoided. Virus may be shed in saliva a few days before clinical symptoms occur (exact time unknown for horses) [7]. If the practitioner is going to euthanize the horse, documentation with photography and a convalescent sample before euthanasia should be retained pending rabies diagnosis to facilitate diagnosis of Western equine encephalomyelitis (WEE)/Eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) or West Nile Virus (WNV). If the horse is rabies negative and known to be unvaccinated for EEE/WEE and WNV, sera is available for testing, and they should be sent to the laboratory for WEE or EEE testing to rule out reportable diseases [8]. Materials and Methods Materials needed are two 15-ft ropes, a cable-operated noose or chain, chemical capture equipment (see details below), and a camera or video camera (for documentation). Suspect Rabies Case General Handling Precautions Avoid contact with the horse directly when the horse must be touched for the euthanasia procedure, all personnel should be double gloved and take precautions to prevent saliva and mucosal surface/secretion contact. It is preferable that personnel have pre-exposure rabies vaccination titers. Clothing for personnel should be full coveralls with long sleeves, boots, and double gloves. Only saliva contains the virus clothing, equipment and instruments that touch the bodily fluids of the animal should be sanitized with bleach, and all facilities cleaned thoroughly. Blood or urine do not contain the rabies virus. Personnel attempting remote delivery of drugs for chemical immobilization must have documented training in this technique and should be required to demonstrate proficiency with the equipment on a regular basis. Drugs used for chemical immobilization must be used under veterinary supervision [a]. Photographs and/or video documentation of the horse's behavior before euthanasia should be taken and submitted to the state veterinarian for assistance with differential diagnosis and history. Other mammals (dogs, cats, horses, cattle, etc.) with or without proof of rabies vaccination should be isolated on the property and quarantined in accordance with the State Rabies Control Officer (State Health Department) in consultation with the State Veterinarian's Office. Protocol for Safe Chemical and Physical Restraint Preparing for Euthanasia of Suspect Rabies Horse Execution of SOP is 5 min with three trained personnel. Stay clear of the horse's legs at all times (even when sedated). The person(s) injecting the IV euthanasia solution must always have a safety buddy. All animals should be fully sedated or anesthetized for this procedure to reduce the chance of injury or exposure to personnel. Pre-exposure rabies vaccinations for personnel in the practice should be considered. - The animal should be isolated by driving it into a safe enclosure such as a round pen or stall that is difficult to escape or kick out. If this is not possible, or the animal is loose, see procedure for darting below. Do not allow anyone to enter the enclosure for any reason. - Chemical immobilization is indicated to prevent aggressive biting, kicking, or exposure of personnel during euthanasia of the animal (Fig. 1). Administration of injectable chemical agents with a syringe by hand should not be attempted these animals are unpredictable and can be very aggressive even if it appears to be the "dumb" form of rabies. Figure 1. A properly placed chemical capture dart b placed correctly (IM) in the muscles of the hind limb. Multiple darts may be required because of the volume of drug needed. - Immobilization may be accomplished by use of compressed air, CO2 or .22 caliber charged dart pistol, dart rifle, blow dart projector, or jab/bang stick. Because of the volume of drug needed, multiple darts given in rapid sequence should be used [b]. - The following drug combinations have been effectively used to immobilize a rabid horse: - Xylazine [c], 1 mg/kg - Ketamine [d] 2 mg/kg - Other sedative medications may be used. Individual resistance to and effect of these drugs must be considered. - Butorphanol Tartrate [e] 0.1 mg/kg - Detomidine [f] 20 μg/kg - Succinylcholine [g] 0.1 mg/kg [a] (may be used IM for rapid knockdown followed immediately by IV euthanasia solution without physical immobilization. This is NOT considered a humane method of euthanasia in normal situations, [9] but may be used here to increase human safety.) - Physical immobilization should be used after the animal is chemically immobilized to ensure safety for personnel humanely euthanizing the animal with IV euthanasia solution. - The legs should be tied using a slip knot around the pasterns of both front and back legs and anchor the ropes to the closest possible secure anchor (heavy vehicle, post, tree, etc., Fig. 2). A cane or boat hook may be used to slide the ropes around the legs. Personnel should remain behind the back of the downed animal to minimize the chance of injury (Fig. 3). Figure 2. Once immobilized, the rear legs are tied with ropes and anchored by people or tied off to a significant object (vehicle, large tree, etc.) The veterinarian should approach from the back and have a buddy holding his/her belt for recovery. Figure 3. The front legs are tied using boat hooks to guide the loops. Personnel or a large object may be used to anchor the ropes. The practitioner is now afforded a safe access to the jugular vein for administering the euthanasia solution. - If the horse has a halter on, secure the head with a rope attached to the halter ring and stretch the head this increases the accessibility to the jugular vein. - Place a ligature or noose around the horse's jaws proximal to the nostrils this may be a rope, catch/pull cable [h] or similar device (Fig. 4). Figure 4. Close-up of the ligature or noose around the jaws proximal to the nostrils. The halter rope is used to extend the head and provide control. - Draw a blood sample before euthanasia to be retained pending rabies diagnosis and to facilitate differential diagnosis of other diseases. Induce euthanasia [7 ml/50 kg, IV, pentobarbital/KCl] [i] by kneeling behind the neck to administer it, with a buddy rope on the practioner's belt to be able to recover him/her in case the animal struggles. Field euthanasia with a firearm/captive bolt is not indicated because it will destroy the brain and make laboratory diagnosis difficult. - The animal's skull or preferably the brain stem and cerebellum should be transported as soon as possible to the State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for identification and diagnosis of the case. The head should be removed with a hacksaw (to minimize aerosolizing of the virus) at the first vertebral joint at the back of the calvaria. Refrigerate specimen for shipment and do not chemically fix tissues [10]. The animal's body must be immediately disposed of by incineration or burial. In the event that rabies is diagnosed by examination of brain tissue, the local health department will investigate and consult with individuals who may have been exposed to the rabid animal and help determine if human post-exposure rabies treatment is necessary. 3. Results When the attending veterinarian arrived at 10:00 a.m. on 12/30/02, a 5-yr-old Arabian mare was standing in crossties. (A previous diagnosis 12 h earlier was made by another veterinarian as colic). The horse broke out of the crossties as he approached, and began to exhibit colic symptoms, including looking and biting at her flanks, in the barnyard. When the neck was touched to attempt jugular administration of 1 mg/kg Flunixin meglumine [j] IV, the mare reacted by attempting to bite the practitioner and exhibited severe hyperesthesia. The horse was relocated to an enclosed round pen and observed for 10 min, where she became recumbent, rolling and biting the ground (Fig. 5). The animal was quarantined immediately while authorities at the State Veterinarian's Office and DHEC were contacted. Within 2 h, the mare was self-mutilating (Fig. 6). Immediate euthanasia was recommended, and trained chemical/physical restraint specialists were brought to the scene. Figure 5. The initial clinical diagnosis of this Arabian mare was colic. She rolled, pawed, looked at her sides, and salivated. Figure 6. The Arabian mare's self-mutilation of her extremities within 2 h of the previous picture. The lacerations are to the bone. Using the protocol outlined above, the mare was chemically and physically immobilized for euthanasia. The samples were submitted to the state diagnostic laboratory, and a positive result was reported. 4. Discussion Both horses that the authors have seen in the last 2 yr (which were later positively diagnosed with rabies) were alert, aggressive, and responsive to their environment. In contrast to the literature [2,10] unusual behavioral characteristics were the most common sign exhibited including aggression toward self, other animals, and people, swiftly progressing to self-mutilation and excess salivation. Both cases were initially diagnosed as colic because of rolling, sweating, pawing, and looking at sides. Safety of humans and minimization of exposure to the rabies virus is paramount in this situation. Euthanasia of a large, aggressive animal is difficult in any circumstance, but particularly when neurologic symptoms indicate rabies. This SOP provides a safe and suitable means of euthanizing large animals suspect of having rabies while minimizing exposure for personnel. This procedure will allow practicing veterinarians to greatly improve safety yet preserve the animal's brain tissue for subsequent testing. [a] Amass KD, Nielsen L. Chemical immobilization of animals. Course Handbook (2002). Mt. Horeb, WI, 53572. [b] CAP-CHUR Darts, Palmer Chemical and Equipment Co., PO Box 867 Douglasville, GA 30133. [c] Rompun, Bayer, Shawnee Mission, KS 66201. [d] Ketaset, Ft Dodge Animal Health, Ft Dodge, IA 50501. [e] Torbugesic®, Ft Dodge Animal Health, Ft Dodge, IA 50501. [f] Dormosedan®, Orion Corporation, Espoo Finland. [g] Anectine, Glaxo-Wellcome, Greenville, NC 27834. [h] Ketch-All, Animal Care Equipment, PO Box 3275, Crestline, CA 92325. [i] Beuthanasia Solution, Schering Plough Animal Health, Union, NJ 07083. [j] Banamine, Schering Plough Animal Health, Union, NJ 07083. Get access to all handy features included in the IVIS website - Get unlimited access to books, proceedings and journals. - Get access to a global catalogue of meetings, on-site and online courses, webinars and educational videos. - Bookmark your favorite articles in My Library for future reading. - Save future meetings and courses in My Calendar and My e-Learning. - Ask authors questions and read what others have to say. Comments (0) Ask the author 0 commentsAbout Copyright Statement © All text and images in this publication are copyright protected and cannot be reproduced or copied in any way.Related Content Readers also viewed these publications No related publications found.
What Size Needle Is Best For Ear Piercing? Ear piercings are a popular way to express yourself through body art. But before getting your ears pierced, it's important to understand what size needle is safest and most comfortable. In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through everything you need to know about needle sizes for ear piercings. If you're short on time, here's the quick answer: Most professional piercers recommend using a 14 or 16 gauge needle for basic earlobe piercings. The 14 gauge (1.6 mm) is standard, while the 16 gauge (1.2 mm) is best for those with sensitive skin or wanting less trauma to the tissue. Needle Sizes for Ear Piercings When it comes to getting your ears pierced, choosing the right needle size is essential for a successful and comfortable piercing. Different needle sizes offer varying levels of thickness, and the size you choose will depend on factors such as your ear anatomy, personal preference, and the style of earring you plan to wear. Here, we will explore three common needle sizes for ear piercings: 14 gauge, 16 gauge, and 18 gauge. 14 Gauge The 14 gauge needle is one of the larger sizes commonly used for ear piercings. This size is often preferred for initial piercings or if you are planning to wear larger or heavier earrings. The 14 gauge needle provides a wider opening, allowing the earring to fit securely without causing excessive pressure on the earlobe. It is important to note that the 14 gauge needle may cause more discomfort during the piercing process compared to smaller sizes, but this can vary from person to person. 16 Gauge If you are looking for a more standard size for ear piercings, the 16 gauge needle is a popular choice. This size offers a good balance between comfort and versatility. The 16 gauge needle creates a smaller opening compared to the 14 gauge, which can be beneficial if you plan to wear smaller or lighter earrings. Additionally, the 16 gauge size is often recommended for cartilage piercings, as it provides enough width for proper healing while minimizing the risk of excessive irritation. 18 Gauge The 18 gauge needle is the smallest common size used for ear piercings. This size is ideal if you prefer delicate and dainty earrings or if you have thinner earlobes. The 18 gauge needle creates a small and precise opening, allowing for a snug fit of smaller earrings. It is important to note that while the 18 gauge needle may cause less initial discomfort during the piercing process, it may also be more prone to closing up if earrings are removed for an extended period of time. It is crucial to consult with a professional piercer who can assess your specific needs and recommend the most suitable needle size for your ear piercing. Remember, everyone's ears are unique, and what works for one person may not work for another. A professional piercer will have the expertise to guide you towards the best needle size for your desired ear piercing. For more information on ear piercings and aftercare, you can visit reputable websites such as Mayo Clinic or WebMD. What Parts of the Ear Can Be Pierced? Ear piercing is a popular form of body modification that has been practiced for centuries. Today, there are various parts of the ear that can be pierced, allowing individuals to express their personal style and enhance their appearance. Here are some of the most common areas of the ear that people choose to pierce: The earlobe is the most common and traditional location for ear piercing. This area is fleshy and soft, making it relatively easy to pierce and heal. Earlobe piercings are typically done with a standard-sized needle and are considered to be the least painful of all ear piercings. They offer a great starting point for those new to body piercing. The cartilage is the firm tissue that gives structure to the outer ear. It is a popular area for piercing and offers a wide range of possibilities. Cartilage piercings can be done in various locations, including the helix (the upper rim of the ear), the tragus (the small flap of cartilage in front of the ear canal), the rook (the inner ridge of cartilage above the tragus), and the daith (the innermost fold of cartilage above the ear canal). Industrial Piercing An industrial piercing is a unique and eye-catching option that involves piercing the cartilage in two separate locations and connecting them with a single piece of jewelry. This piercing is typically done horizontally across the upper ear and requires a longer needle to accommodate the distance between the two holes. The daith piercing has gained popularity in recent years. It involves piercing the innermost fold of cartilage in the ear, just above the ear canal. This piercing is said to have therapeutic benefits for migraines and anxiety, although scientific evidence is lacking. The size of the needle used for a daith piercing will depend on the individual's anatomy and the expertise of the piercer. The tragus is the small piece of cartilage that protrudes in front of the ear canal. It is a popular location for a piercing and can be adorned with a variety of jewelry options. Due to its size and thickness, a smaller needle is typically used for tragus piercings to ensure a comfortable and safe experience. The rook piercing is located in the inner ridge of cartilage above the tragus. It is a unique and visually appealing piercing that requires precision and expertise. The size of the needle used for a rook piercing may vary depending on the individual's anatomy and the desired jewelry. When considering getting any type of ear piercing, it is important to consult with a professional piercer who can assess your anatomy and provide guidance on the appropriate needle size and aftercare. Remember, proper hygiene and aftercare are crucial for ensuring a successful and healthy healing process. Pain Level by Needle Gauge Choosing the right needle gauge for ear piercing is important not only for achieving the desired result but also for minimizing pain during the process. The gauge refers to the thickness of the needle, and different sizes can have varying levels of discomfort. Let's explore the pain levels associated with different needle gauges for ear piercing. Understanding Needle Gauges Needle gauges are measured using a numerical system, with higher numbers indicating thinner needles. For ear piercing, the most common needle gauges are 18, 16, and 14. The larger the gauge number, the smaller the needle and vice versa. It's essential to choose the appropriate gauge based on the type of ear piercing you want and your pain tolerance. Pain Levels The pain experienced during ear piercing can vary from person to person. However, there is a general consensus that smaller gauge needles tend to cause less pain compared to larger gauge needles. This is because thinner needles create smaller holes, resulting in less tissue trauma and discomfort. For example, an 18-gauge needle is considered relatively small and is often used for standard earlobe piercings. It typically causes minimal pain, especially when performed by a professional piercer. On the other hand, a 14-gauge needle, which is thicker, may cause more discomfort during the piercing process. Factors Affecting Pain While needle gauge plays a significant role in determining pain levels, other factors can also influence the experience. These factors include: - The individual's pain tolerance - The location of the ear piercing - The technique used by the piercer It's important to communicate your pain tolerance and preferences with your piercer before the procedure. They can guide you in selecting the appropriate needle gauge and provide advice on minimizing discomfort during and after the piercing. Aftercare by Needle Size Choosing the right needle size is crucial when it comes to ear piercing. Aftercare is essential to ensure proper healing and minimize the risk of infection. Here's a breakdown of aftercare tips based on different needle sizes: Standard Gauge Needle (18 or 20 Gauge) The standard gauge needle, typically 18 or 20 gauge, is commonly used for ear piercing. Aftercare for this size needle involves cleaning the pierced area twice a day with a saline solution or a mild, fragrance-free soap. It's important to avoid touching the piercing with dirty hands and to gently rotate the earring daily to prevent it from sticking. 16 Gauge Needle For those who prefer a slightly larger piercing, a 16 gauge needle may be used. Aftercare for this size needle is similar to the standard gauge, but it's essential to be extra diligent in keeping the pierced area clean. Regular cleaning and proper hygiene practices are crucial to prevent infection. 14 Gauge Needle For individuals looking for a more prominent ear piercing, a 14 gauge needle might be chosen. Aftercare for this size needle is similar to the previous ones, but it's important to avoid sleeping on the pierced ear to prevent irritation and discomfort. Additionally, it's recommended to avoid swimming in pools or hot tubs until the piercing has fully healed to prevent infection. 12 Gauge Needle A 12 gauge needle is a larger size commonly used for stretched ear piercings. Proper aftercare for this size is crucial to ensure proper healing. It's important to clean the piercing regularly, avoid changing the jewelry too soon, and be cautious of any signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, or discharge. Consulting with a professional piercer for specific aftercare instructions is highly recommended. Remember, regardless of the needle size, it's crucial to follow the aftercare instructions provided by your piercer and seek professional advice if any complications arise. Proper aftercare will help ensure a successful and safe healing process for your ear piercing. Signs of Infection & Remedies Piercing your ears can be an exciting and fashionable way to express yourself. However, it is important to be aware of the signs of infection that can occur after getting your ears pierced. Knowing what to look for and how to properly care for your new piercing can help prevent complications and ensure a healthy healing process. Signs of Infection It is normal to experience some redness, swelling, and tenderness immediately after getting your ears pierced. However, if these symptoms worsen or persist after a few days, it may be a sign of infection. Other signs to watch out for include: - Pus or discharge coming from the piercing site - Increased pain or throbbing - Heat or warmth around the piercing - Red streaks extending from the piercing - Fever or chills If you notice any of these signs, it is important to take action to prevent the infection from spreading. Remedies for Infection If you suspect that your ear piercing is infected, there are a few steps you can take to help alleviate the symptoms and promote healing: - Clean the area: Gently clean the infected area with a saline solution or an antiseptic recommended by your piercer. Avoid using alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, as these can be too harsh and delay the healing process. - Avoid touching: Resist the temptation to touch or twist the earring, as this can introduce more bacteria and worsen the infection. - Apply warm compresses: Applying a warm compress to the infected area can help reduce swelling and promote drainage. - Take over-the-counter pain relievers: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen can help relieve pain and reduce inflammation. - Seek professional help: If the infection does not improve within a few days or if it worsens, it is important to seek medical attention. A healthcare professional may prescribe antibiotics to clear the infection. Remember, prevention is always better than cure. To reduce the risk of infection, make sure to follow proper aftercare instructions provided by your piercer. This includes cleaning the piercing twice a day with a saline solution, avoiding swimming in pools or hot tubs, and avoiding touching the piercing with dirty hands. If you have any concerns about the healing process or suspect an infection, don't hesitate to reach out to your piercer or a healthcare professional for guidance and support. To summarize, the recommended needle size for basic earlobe piercing is 14 or 16 gauge. Smaller needles like 18 gauge may close up faster. While larger needles like 12 gauge create unnecessary trauma. Be sure to identify the right needle size for your specific ear piercing location and skin type. And follow proper aftercare instructions to reduce risks and promote fast healing.
Mastering the Technique: How to Peel a Frozen Banana When a banana freezes, the water within its cells expands, causing the fruit to break down slightly. This process softens the banana's texture, resulting in a smoother and creamier mouthfeel when consumed. The freezing process also intensifies the natural sweetness of bananas, making them even more enjoyable. Now that we understand the science behind frozen bananas, let's move on to the next section and gather the necessary tools for the peeling process. Table of Contents - Gathering the Necessary Tools - Preparing for the Peeling Process - Step-by-Step Guide: How to Peel a Frozen Banana - Step 1: Removing the Banana from the Freezer - Step 2: Allowing the Banana to Thaw Slightly - Step 3: Applying Gentle Pressure to the Peel - Step 4: Peeling the Banana in Sections - Step 5: Discarding the Peel - Tips and Tricks for a Successful Peel - Exploring Creative Uses for Frozen Bananas - Conclusion - FAQs - Can I eat a frozen banana without peeling it? - How long do frozen bananas last in the freezer? - Can I use a microwave to thaw frozen bananas? - Can I peel a frozen banana with my hands? - Are frozen bananas as nutritious as fresh bananas? Gathering the Necessary Tools To successfully peel a frozen banana, you'll need a few essential tools: - Ripe bananas for freezing: Select ripe bananas with yellow skins and a few brown speckles. Ripe bananas provide the best flavor and texture when frozen. - Proper storage techniques: Ensure you store the bananas correctly before freezing. Peel the bananas, place them in an airtight container or freezer bag, and make sure to remove any excess air to prevent freezer burn. Now that you have your frozen bananas ready, it's time to prepare for the peeling process itself. Preparing for the Peeling Process Before you dive into peeling a frozen banana, it's essential to follow these preparatory steps: - Thaw the frozen bananas: Remove the desired number of frozen bananas from the freezer and allow them to thaw slightly at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Thawing the bananas makes the peeling process easier. - Choose the right peeling method: Depending on personal preference and the condition of the bananas, you can opt for various peeling methods. In the next section, we'll walk you through a step-by-step guide on how to peel a frozen banana successfully. Step-by-Step Guide: How to Peel a Frozen Banana Step 1: Removing the Banana from the Freezer Retrieve the frozen banana from the freezer. Hold it gently, ensuring you have a firm grip. Step 2: Allowing the Banana to Thaw Slightly Place the frozen banana on a plate or cutting board and let it thaw for a few minutes until the peel starts to soften. This step will make the peeling process more manageable. Step 3: Applying Gentle Pressure to the Peel With your thumb and index finger, apply gentle pressure to the tip of the banana, slowly squeezing it. This action will loosen the peel and create a small opening. Step 4: Peeling the Banana in Sections Using your thumb, gently peel back a small section of the banana's peel. Continue this process, gradually peeling the entire length of the banana. Step 5: Discarding the Peel Once you've peeled the frozen banana completely, discard the peel into a compost bin or garbage can. Congratulations! You've successfully peeled a frozen banana. Tips and Tricks for a Successful Peel Peeling a frozen banana might sometimes pose challenges, but fear not! Here are a few tips and tricks to make the process smoother: - Using a butter knife for assistance: If you encounter difficulties while peeling, gently insert a butter knife between the peel and the fruit. This will help loosen the peel and make it easier to remove. - Employing the "banana massage" technique: Before attempting to peel a frozen banana, gently massage it for a few seconds. The heat from your hands will aid in thawing the banana slightly, making it easier to peel. - Dealing with stubborn peels: If the peel doesn't come off easily, allow the banana to thaw for a few more minutes or run it under lukewarm water for a few seconds. This extra step will help loosen the peel, making it easier to remove. Now that you've mastered the technique of peeling a frozen banana, let's explore some creative uses for this delightful fruit. Exploring Creative Uses for Frozen Bananas Frozen bananas are incredibly versatile and can be used in a variety of ways. Here are a few ideas to inspire your culinary adventures: - Making delicious frozen banana treats: Dip peeled frozen bananas in melted chocolate, roll them in chopped nuts or coconut flakes, and place them back in the freezer. Enjoy these homemade frozen banana popsicles for a satisfying and healthy dessert. - Incorporating frozen bananas into recipes: Blend peeled frozen bananas with your favorite fruits and a splash of milk to create a creamy and nutritious smoothie. You can also use frozen bananas as a base for homemade ice cream or add them to baked goods for natural sweetness and moisture. By exploring these creative uses, you can truly make the most of your peeled frozen bananas. Now, let's address some frequently asked questions to provide further clarity on the topic. Mastering the technique of peeling a frozen banana opens up a world of delightful and refreshing snacks. With a little practice and the right approach, you can easily enjoy the creamy texture and natural sweetness of frozen bananas whenever you desire. Remember to gather the necessary tools, follow the step-by-step guide, and explore creative uses for this versatile fruit. So go ahead, peel that frozen banana, and savor every bite of this delicious treat. Can I eat a frozen banana without peeling it? No, it is not recommended to eat a frozen banana without peeling it first. The peel of a frozen banana will be much harder and thicker than that of a fresh banana, making it difficult and uncomfortable to chew. Additionally, the peel can contain bacteria that can cause food poisoning if ingested. For these reasons, it is best to always peel a frozen banana before consuming it. How long do frozen bananas last in the freezer? Frozen bananas can last up to six months in the freezer when stored properly in an airtight container or freezer bag. Can I use a microwave to thaw frozen bananas? While it is possible to use a microwave to thaw frozen bananas, it is not recommended. Microwaving can partially cook the fruit and result in a mushy texture. It's best to let the bananas thaw naturally at room temperature. Can I peel a frozen banana with my hands? Peeling a frozen banana with your hands can be challenging due to the frozen texture. It is recommended to follow the step-by-step guide mentioned earlier or use a butter knife for assistance. Are frozen bananas as nutritious as fresh bananas? Frozen bananas are just as nutritious as their fresh counterparts. While some of the vitamins and minerals might diminish over time in the freezer, most of them remain intact. Eating frozen bananas can be a great way to get an extra boost of potassium and fiber into your diet, as well as providing essential vitamins like vitamin C and B6.
Hard Rock Bet Updated: May 22, 2024 Moneyline bets, known simply as 'winner bets' on Hard Rock Bet, are an extremely popular type of wager. Their simplicity appeals to sports bettors of all types. When placing a moneyline bet (or a winner bet on Hard Rock Bet!) the goal is straightforward – pick the winner. Nothing else matters. The point spread, total points, first or second half, etc. are all irrelevant to the success of the bet. The winner is all that matters. While the concept of a moneyline, or winner bet, is simple, we've assembled the following page to serve as a resource on the subject. From understanding common moneyline odds, to actually placing a bet, and of course – we'll cover any frequently asked question, too. A moneyline bet is a wager on a specific side to win outright. Moneyline bets are the simplest form of sports betting. When you make a moneyline bet, success lies in the ability to predict the outcome of a game or contest – and that's it. It's a straightforward declaration of who will win the contest. On Hard Rock Bet moneyline wages have been renamed as 'Winner' bets. While experienced bettors will know exactly what the moneyline stands for, the term 'winner' simplifies the meaning for everyone. With a winner bet, you're betting on the winner. When placing a winner bet the official Hard Rock Bet House Rules apply at all times. With moneyline bets the odds take center stage. Why, you might ask? Because as much as we might like for them to be, it's rare that a game or match is anticipated to be completely even. Broadly speaking there will be a favorite and an underdog for each matchup. Therefore the odds for a winner bet must be adjusted to compensate for the fact that one side is assessed to be more likely to win. Moneyline odds communicate vital information through positive or negative numbers. Positive odds indicate the underdog (ex. +125), and signify the potential winnings from a $100 bet. Negatives are reserved for the favorite (ex. -110), and indicate the amount you must wager to pocket an additional hundred. It's a language of risk and reward, where every digit carries weight. At first glance moneyline odds, and sports betting odds in general may appear complicated. Understanding how they work rests on grasping a few fundamental principles. With moneyline bets, there's a crucial juxtaposition between favorites and underdogs. Favorites might yield modest returns but ensure a higher probability of success. Backing underdogs promises substantial payouts but treads a precarious path. It's a delicate balance between risk and reward. When you see a moneyline bet with negative odds you're looking at what Hard Rock Bet has judged to be the most likely outcome – this team is favored. When faced with a negative figure like -150, it signifies the amount you must stake to get a $100 return. A $150 bet on a team with -150 odds could net you an even $100 in profit ($250 total) if they emerge victorious. If you take a moneyline bet with positive odds, you're betting on the underdog. For example, if you wagered $10 on a team with +200 moneyline odds you would stand to profit $20 if the wager wins ($30 total, the $10 original stake + $20 profit). While the principal remains the same, there are two different types of moneyline wagers: 2-way and 3-way. With a 2-way, you just have to choose the side that you think will win. In the 3-way, you can also bet on a draw. With a 2-way moneyline you're just picking the team that you think will win with no additional variables. For example, if the Heat are playing as the underdog against the Celtics in the NBA Playoffs and are offered at +700. The only other side of this winner bet would be taking the Celtics at -1300. There are just two options to pick from as no matter what happens, the game will declare a winner – even if it takes overtime. There are sports where a draw is a normal, and sometimes an expected outcome. For example, soccer games regularly end without a winner, thus a third option is introduced on the betting sheet. While you can still bet on either team to win, like with a 2-way winner bet, you can also bet on the tie. In the example below, Manchester City is visiting Brighton for an English Premier League fixture and there are three separate moneyline options: A pick'em in moneyline bets signifies a scenario where both sides carry the same odds. It eliminates a clear favorite or underdog. For example, the championship bout between Tyson Fury and Oleksander Usyk is assessed as a pick'em. Hard Rock Bet deems both fighters to be evenly matched. This grants the bettor an equal opportunity to select either as the victor at the same odds. A pick'em designation doesn't necessarily equate to the teams being equal in strength. Rather, it suggests that they possess an equal likelihood of securing victory. A variety of factors will be taken into account when setting the line like home-field advantage, recent news, and historical performance. Neither team holds a distinct advantage in the eyes of oddsmakers. This equilibrium presents both a challenge and an opportunity for bettors. With moneyline bets, there are two standard, simple outcomes: the bet wins, or it loses. A win, obviously, is when a bet is placed on the side that wins. The wager is paid out accordingly based on the stake and accepted odds. A loss? The bettor gets nothing if they select the losing side of a winner bet. Notably, bets can push or become void if the circumstances dictate it. For example, let's say you bet on your favorite NFL team to win on Sunday and they tie it up late in the fourth quarter. The game goes to overtime, and after 10 exciting minutes no points are scored… we have a tie. If a 2-way moneyline market results in a tie, the bet will be judged as a push and the stake will be returned. Placing a moneyline bet, or a winner bet on Hard Rock Bet, is a smooth, streamlined process. After creating your account (no Hard Rock Bet promo code is required to claim the best welcome offer!) and making a deposit, you're ready to go. Next, figure out what you want to bet on. Once you've narrowed it down, look for the 'Winner' column and pick your side. The default view for Hard Rock Bet's website and betting app will be to display the spread first, then the total, and the winner odds will be listed third. With your decision made, embark on the final leg of your journey. Tap the side of the bet you want to take and enter the amount you're willing to stake and with a click, confirm your bet. Now, the die is cast, and all that remains is to await the outcome. Remember, moneyline bets care not for margins or spreads. Victory lies not in the magnitude of triumph but in the simple act of emerging with the win. Manage your bankroll with prudence. Bet only what you can afford to lose. Below we've put together a few questions and answers about moneyline bets. Looking for more answers? Check out the complete Hard Rock FAQ resource. On This Page A moneyline bet is scored as a push when neither team or player secures a clear victory in a game that is generally expected to have one. Think of an NFL game going to overtime but ultimately ending in a tie. It happens, but not that often. Most contests that are likely to result in a tie are known as 'three-way moneylines', and will offer odds specifically for a draw. For 2-way moneyline bets, overtime is typically included as long as there is a clear winner at the end of the contest. If your team wins in overtime, your moneyline wager wins too. In 3-way moneyline bets, settled at the end of regular time, overtime isn't usually factored in. It's important to understand the rules governing overtime with the type of moneyline bet you place. Hard Rock bet is currently accepting legal moneyline wagers in seven different states. Notably, Hard Rock Bet is the only available option for Florida sports betting. If you want to make a moneyline wager in Florida, Hard Rock Bet is the place to do it. It depends on the situation. If you like a team to win straight up and see that they have positive odds, that would be appealing. Positive moneyline odds indicate that the team or player is the underdog. It means that Hard Rock Bet believes that team has a lower chance of winning, but on the plus side, if they do win, the payout will be greater. Positive moneyline odds offer higher returns on your initial wager. A negative moneyline indicates that a particular side is the favorite to win. Negative moneyline odds represent how much you need to bet to win $100 in profit. For example, if you see a moneyline of -150, it means you would need to wager $150 to potentially win $100 in profit. Yes it is. Hard Rock Bet uses the term "winner" instead of moneyline because it's easier for both new, and existing bettors to understand. In a moneyline bet (or "winner" bet on Hard Rock), you simply predict which team or player will win the game or contest outright. You don't consider the margin of victory. Positive or negative numbers represent the odds for each team or player. They indicate the potential payout if your chosen selection prevails. In contrast, when point spread betting you're not as concerned with who wins, but by how much. If two teams are not deemed equal, which is very common, the underdog will be given points. As a result the favored team must win by that many points, or the underdog must stay within range for the bet to be successful. This creates a more balanced betting environment, with competitive odds for balanced contests. It really depends on how much you wager, and what the odds of the bet are. Negative moneyline odds signify the favored option. The odds indicate the amount you need to bet to win $100. For instance, if the odds are -150, you'd need to wager $150 to win $100 in profit. Positive moneyline odds represent the underdog. The odds indicate the potential profit for a $100 bet. For example, if the odds are +200, a $100 bet would yield $200 in profit if successful.
Introduction to the Project Lifecycle In this section, we'll get a sense of each of the main phases of a typical project. We've already summarised them, but let's refresh our memories. Typically, they are; Initiation: Defining the project and establishing its feasibility and options for delivery so that it can be rubber-stamped to start in earnest. Planning: Now that we have a solid basis, we start building out the scope and objectives and plan in enough detail around the 'who', 'what' and 'when' to allow us to start executing. Executing: Implementing the project management plan; this is where the magic happens and disasters strike. Monitoring and Controlling: Tracking progress and controlling the goat rodeo. Closing: Finalising all activities and bringing the project to an orderly conclusion. Every project is different and may have stages such as research, development, testing, and go-to-market, to name a few, but they essentially fall under one of these main phases. Let's take a closer look at each before we step through each phase in detail. The initiation phase is the first step in the project lifecycle, where the project's foundation is established. We are pulling things together at this stage, choosing the best folder structure, and working out the coolest project code name. Naivety and optimism are high. The critical initiation activities are; Create the Project Charter The charter captures the project's scope, objectives, justification and primary stakeholders. It's effectively a high-level summary of why the project exists, how you expect it to unfold, who needs to be involved, and what it seeks to deliver. Getting this right is crucial as it's the foundation for everything that comes next. Assemble the Project Team Once the project's scope and objectives are clearly defined and the foundational documentation is in place, you can assemble the project team. Walk them through the charter and get critical feedback on it. Undertake Initial Assessments The early assessments often occur concurrently with the other early tasks. It includes conducting feasibility studies and preparing a high-level risk register. These assessments, or feasibility studies, are essential for understanding the project's viability, potential challenges, and delivery methods. But, they are estimates, rarely ever 100% soul-ownership level binding commitments. However, they'll likely be the only thing anyone remembers, so we'll take extreme care about what is communicated when shared. Develop a High-Level Plan With the project documentation set, the team assembled, and initial assessments undertaken, this plan will detail how the project will be executed, monitored, and controlled. We'll need a high-level end-to-end project plan sketched out for all phases but a reasonable level of detail about the project's next phase, "planning". Planning Gate Approval "Gates" are approval steps. During a gate, we decide whether to proceed with the detailed planning phase, adjust the project scope, or halt the project if it's no longer viable. Cancel a project?! I hear you say? In some extreme circumstances, your feasibility assessments might demonstrate it isn't as viable as you once thought. The planning phase sets the blueprint for executing, monitoring, and controlling the project. Here are the key activities; Build a Comprehensive Project Plan This step involves refining the high-level 'table-napkin' initial plan created during the initiation phase. It should now be built out to include detailed sections covering cost, schedule, quality, and risk management. The updated plan will serve as the central guiding document for the entire project. Develop a Detailed Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) This activity involves breaking down the total scope of the project into smaller, manageable chunks, which helps in organising and defining the total scope of the project. Think of it like a hierarchical 'mind map' of the deliverables. Nothing seems scary once you've broken it down into smaller parts and worked out what you need to work on first. The WBS is also helpful for updating the plan regarding effort assessments and costs in the next activity. Prepare a Comprehensive Budget Based on the detailed WBS, this step involves estimating the costs associated with each component of the WBS and aggregating these to form an overall project budget. This budget will outline all expected costs and funding allocations across the project lifecycle, ensuring adequate financial resources are available. Establish a Quality Plan This involves setting specific quality criteria and standards for the project's outputs. The quality plan ensures that the project deliverables are high quality and meet the requirements specified by the stakeholders. For example, if you are delivering a software project, you'll need to define your approach to testing here. I struggle to think of any kind of project that doesn't have some testing or quality control steps. That said, I've been on the receiving end of some organisations who have tried not to have quality control phases, which always ends in a shit show. Develop a Communication Plan This plan outlines how information will be communicated to the project's stakeholders (frequency, format, and responsibilities). The more complex the project, the more complex the plan. The simpler the project, the… you get it. Execution Gate Approval Approval of the project management plan and authorisation to start execution. Those last pre-flight checks before you start building things in earnest. Adjustments may be required if there are gaps or misalignments. The Execution phase is where plans are put into action, and the project's deliverables start to take shape. We've talked about it a lot, and now is the exciting part: rolling up your sleeves and getting busy. The activities within Executing include; Direct Management of Work This is the primary activity of the Executing phase, where the project team actively engages in the tasks outlined in the project management plan. It involves allocating resources, whipping junior team members, executing planned tasks, and ensuring each task aligns with the project timeline and objectives. Where collections of work might be complex, then a workstream might be created, driven by a work package (a summary of the requirements for that specific area). This helps break the workload into more manageable chunks. Review Quality Standards Remember the quality plan from earlier? The project needs to continuously monitor and evaluate the deliverables to ensure they meet predefined quality standards per your plan. This includes regular testing, quality checks, and reviews. If deliverables don't meet quality expectations, adjustments and improvements are made. Manage Scope and Handle Changes Most projects encounter people trying to make small changes to the scope, usually prefixed with the words "Can we just…". So, it's vital that we keep the project within its defined scope as much as possible. This involves managing scope 'creep' and implementing any approved scope changes. Implementation Planning The crux of ensuring that the project can transition smoothly from execution to closure is effective implementation planning. This phase is about laying down a detailed roadmap for how the various elements of the project will be implemented, ensuring alignment with the project's strategic objectives and readiness for final delivery. In implementation planning, the focus is on integrating all pieces of the project puzzle. This involves scheduling the final steps, assigning responsibilities for last-mile tasks, and ensuring synchronisation of all teams. Here's what needs to be done; Project acceptance criteria are created and agreed upon to allow the project to close down Ensuring training & documentation are taken into account System testing & User acceptance might be phases that need to be done Consider it a plan for 'going live' with your project, and not just dumping your delivery and running. Every project should not consider the finish line as the end of the main deliveries, but the smooth transition into business-as-usual. Project Closure Gate Finally in this stage, we determine if the project is ready to move into the closing phase or if additional work is needed to meet the agreed-upon deliverables. Normally it'll be in the form of a stage gate, or approval meeting that looks at the project acceptance criteria, and says whether the project has delivered what it set out to do. If so, then the project can move into the very final phase of "project closure". Monitoring and Controlling The Monitoring and Controlling phase ensures the project remains on track and aligned with the set goals and standards. It provides the necessary checks and balances through regular reviews, audits, and adjustments. Typically, the Monitoring and Controlling phase runs concurrently from the Planning Phase to the Execution phase. The key activities; Generate Highlight Reports Performance, or 'highlight', reports provide insights into whether the project is on track concerning its timelines, scope, and budget. Typically, they are sent out on a schedule to keep everyone updated about how progress is unfolding. Maintain Decision, Risk and Change Logs This activity involves keeping records of all identified decisions made or needed, risks (and issues) and changes requested or implemented during the project. These logs is where a lot of arse-covering happens. Implement Corrective Actions Based on the insights from the risk and change logs, implement necessary corrective actions to address and mitigate risks. So, if something is going 'amber' in a status report, how do we stop it from going red and losing our jobs? Host Regular Progress Reviews Invite everyone who wants to come, and then some more (they'll come anyway, even if you try to keep it small), and make sure the communication is happening, the progress is being reviewed, and any exceptions are being escalated. The Closing phase marks the conclusion of the project lifecycle. This phase involves wrapping up all project activities, finalising deliverables, and ensuring all documents are signed off and archived. The focus is on formally accepting the project outcomes and disbanding project resources in an orderly manner. The key activities are; Compile a Final Project Report This report should summarise the entire project, including the objectives, what was accomplished, the methods used, and the outcomes. The report should also detail the performance against the original plan, noting any deviations and their causes. Undertake Lessons Learned Conduct a thorough review of what went well and what didn't throughout the project. This should include feedback from all team members and stakeholders to gather a comprehensive view of the project's successes and challenges. Archive All Project-Related Materials Ensure all documents, reports, contracts, and correspondence are organised and stored in a designated location. Archival is important and often overlooked. It's essential for future reference and compliance with regulatory requirements. It's about thinking of others in the future when they need to check on something and find a piece of information such as a contract that was missed, and knowing where to locate it. Organise a Closure Meeting or Event We wrap it all up nicely now, with a step to formally conclude the project. A closure meeting serves as an opportunity to thank the project team and stakeholders, review the project's achievements, and discuss the next steps, if any. It's also a chance to celebrate the project's success and recognise the efforts of all involved. Glossary of Terms Business Case: A document that justifies the necessity of a project, outlining the expected benefits, costs, risks, and strategic alignment with organisational goals. Change Requests: Formal proposals for changes to any aspect of the project, including the scope, timelines, or resources, which need approval before implementation. Communication Plan: A strategy document that outlines how information will be communicated to stakeholders, including the methods, frequency, and responsibilities. Corrective Actions: Steps taken to bring the project back on track when deviations from the plan are detected or when facing unforeseen issues. Feasibility Study: An analysis conducted to assess the practicality and viability of the project, considering technical, economic, legal, and operational aspects. Final Project Report: A document summarising the performance and outcomes of the project, including details on scope, quality, costs, and time, along with challenges faced and resolutions. Issue Logs: Records that track problems and issues during the project, including details on their resolution. Lessons Learned: Insights and reflections recorded during and after the project aimed at improving future project management practices. Project Acceptance Documentation: Formal confirmation from the stakeholders or clients that the project deliverables meet the predefined criteria and are accepted. Project Breakdown and Budgeting: The process of creating a detailed Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and a comprehensive budget plan that outlines all expected costs. Project Charter: A document that formally authorises the project, defines the project's objectives, scope, and participants, and grants the project manager the authority to proceed. Risk and Change Logs: Documents that record potential risks and changes encountered throughout the project, detailing the analysis, response, and management strategies. Risk Register: A tool used to identify, analyse, and manage potential risks that might affect the project, detailing mitigation strategies. Stakeholder Register: A document listing all parties interested in or affected by the project, including their roles, requirements, and level of influence. Updates and Quality Control: Continuous monitoring and adjustment of project schedules, management of quality assurance activities, and documentation of necessary changes.
Learning Beyond Lockdown: K-12 Tech Adoption in the New Normal A Survey of K-12 Schools in India During the covid 19 times, Edu-tive commissioned a pan-India survey of K-12 schools with major objective of understanding: - Coping strategies to deal with covid-induced disruptions in learning and post-covid world. - Status of data management in schools - Level of technology adoption and absorption to manage school processes - State of readiness to meet emerging forms of learning Survey Participation More than 200 schools affiliated to different boards of education – CBSE, ICSE, IB and State Boards etc – participated in this anecdotal survey. Participants included school owners, members of senior leadership team, teachers and academic experts. Major Findings Coping strategies for dealing covid-induced disruptions in learning - Strengthening organizational capabilities to deploy remote and blended learning - Designing educational repositories to share good practices, provide opportunities for peer-to-peer learning - Engaging with all stakeholders, especially parents, in the learning processes - Delivering learning through social media platforms such as WhatsApp and meeting platforms such as Zoom. - Investment in new or upgrading IT infrastructure constrained by funds crunch Status of data management in schools - More than 90% of the schools surveyed have a clear understanding of the need and importance of collecting, storing and employing student and other data relating to the school, regulations and the requirements of the board of affiliation primarily to: - Understand student performance, attendance, behavior, and other factors for school administrators and teachers to gain insights into areas of strength and areas of improvement, - Identify trends and patterns, and make informed decisions about curriculum, instruction, and resource allocation to improve student outcomes. - Identify and help students to prevent academic or behavioral issues from escalating - Analyse data to measure progress over time, set goals, and evaluate the effectiveness of programs and initiatives implemented by the schools. - At the same time, the participants expressed the need to ensure that data is collected and used in a responsible and ethical manner, with appropriate safeguards for student privacy and confidentiality - There was a great awareness of digital tools and platforms for data collection, analysis, and reporting. Data Management Practices - Every school collects/generates a large amount of data to manage the day-to-day operation of various educational activities. Different departments generally collect data discretely and do not share data. - Most data reside in in not-easily accessible silos – in multiple forms, formats and structure, hardcopy files, MS Excel spreadsheets stored on separate personal computers in discrete repositories and are not easily comparable or not shared or not easily accessible. - School data exists - Non-interoperability of data sources and repositories - The absence of a common data repository is impacting the efficiency and effectiveness of staff (and teacher) management. - Asset data is not robust - Financial data is relatively more robust and mainly stored in Tally by the Finance Department - Communication of data from one department to another or to the regulators and other stakeholders is undertaken via paper formats or emails. - Data standards such as those required for protection of data, and those relating to metadata, security protocols, data management, hardware, software or coding, data verification or validation, are either lacking or weak. - The process is currently costly and burdensome. Technology Deployment in K-12 schools - Use of technology is increasing in K-12 system, but not necessarily giving a child-centric integrated view of progressive learning. - Adoption of tools has been ad hoc to meet specific exigent circumstances from time to time - Cost and time challenges in integrating these tools. - Current IT tools are not easily amenable to help schools to: - Align the processes with the vision of the promoters - Meet emerging changes in the forms of education or radically new technology tools - Cope with the evolving changes in the education system, policy framework and regulatory requirements - Currently popular IT packages such as ERP or LMS do not allow free hand to the schools to manage their teaching-learning processes creatively. - Most of the current IT solutions in the market don't incorporate insights from advanced research in academics like taxonomies, pedagogy or assessment strategies for better learning outcomes. Powerful take-aways These observations and findings were discussed in depth with educationists and thinkers across the country to glean strategies for the future to improve the learning outcomes in line with the national goals. It emerged in a largely consensus way that - All school systems and processes would need to be redesigned with the child at the nucleus - Schools would need to infuse more creative and innovative methods in the teaching-learning process (TLP). - All technology tools and practices must reimagine K-12 schools as a holistic entity, rather than as a mechanical assemblage of its constituent parts and provides full scope for creativity and innovation of all its constituents, mainly students and teachers.
Adrenocortical Hormones API Market Size is valued at USD 2.24 Bn in 2023 and is predicted to reach USD 3.55 Bn by the year 2031 at a 6.04% CAGR during the forecast period for 2024-2031. Adrenocortical hormones, also referred to as corticosteroids or adrenal cortex hormones, are steroid hormones synthesized by the adrenal cortex, which is a component of the adrenal gland. This hormone is synthesized or extracted to be used as API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients) in medications that are designed to treat a variety of conditions related to inflammation, immune response, and metabolism. Adrenocortical hormones, when used as API, play a crucial role in the field of pharmaceuticals. They provide essential treatments for a variety of disorders that impact millions of people globally. Ongoing research and regulation are focused on developing and producing them while ensuring a balance between effectiveness and safety. Adrenocortical hormone-active pharmaceutical ingredients are in high demand in the pharmaceutical industry because of the rising incidence of hormonal imbalances brought about by increased public knowledge of the problem and better diagnostic tools. The market demand for this adrenocortical hormones API is being driven by In addition, the demand for adrenocortical hormones is on the rise due to the fact that more people are able to access treatment alternatives due to rising healthcare spending and healthcare infrastructure expansion around the world. The demand for adrenocortical hormones API is being driven by the growing number of people who can afford healthcare services, which is a consequence of the healthcare industry's expansion. However, market growth is impeded by a stringent regulatory landscape and high costs. The COVID-19 pandemic brought up many issues for healthcare manufacturers, such as shaky marketplaces, falling consumer trust, and messed-up import/export processes. In addition, the adrenocortical hormones API market is being significantly influenced by research in pharmaceutical production and technical improvements; manufacturers and researchers are putting money into state-of-the-art technology and new methods, providing opportunities for market growth in the coming years. Competitive Landscape Some Major Key Players In The Adrenocortical Hormones API Market: - Sanofi (France) - GlaxoSmithKline (U.K.) - Xianju Pharma (China) - Teva (Israel) - Piramal Pharma Solutions - Guangzhou Tosun Pharmaceutical - BCN Peptides - Guangdong VTR Bio-Tech Co., Ltd, - Symbiotec Pharmalab, - Sun Pharmaceutical, - Cipla, - Hovione, - Shandong Xinhua Pharmaceutical Company Limited, - Steroid SpA, - Junye Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., - Avik Pharmaceutical, - Tianjin Pacific Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (TJPP) - Shandong Sito Bio-technology CO., LTD. - Other Market Players Market Segmentation: The adrenocortical hormones API market is segmented based on type and application. Based on type, the market is segmented into dexamethasone series, betamethasone series, hydrocortisone series, and others. By application, the market is segmented into injectable drugs, oral drugs, external use drugs, and inhalation drugs. Based On The Type, The Hydrocortisone Series Adrenocortical Hormones API Segment Is Accounted As A Major Contributor To The Adrenocortical Hormones API Market. The hydrocortisone series adrenocortical hormones API adrenocortical hormones API market is expected to hold a major global market share.. This is propelled by a growing number of dermatological disorders, such as eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis, which require topical formulations of hydrocortisone, and the drug is essential in the treatment of adrenal insufficiency, which includes Addison's disease and other similar disorders. More and more people are suffering from long-term health issues that necessitate the use of immunosuppressants and anti-inflammatory medications, which in turn drives the demand for hydrocortisone series. Growth in the prevalence of chronic health problems and an aging population suggests that the hydrocortisone series will be in high demand. Injectable Drugs Segment To Witness Growth At A Rapid Rate. Injectable drugs are growing because of their quick onset of action and precise control over dosage. These advantages make them ideal for adrenocortical hormone API treatments, which require exact concentrations for optimal efficacy. These advantages are especially important in acute care settings where therapeutic effects must be felt immediately. The expansion and improvement of healthcare infrastructure around the world, particularly the availability of medical facilities and healthcare workers trained to inject patients, is another factor fueling the evolution of this industry. In The Region, The North American Adrenocortical Hormones API Market Holds A Significant Revenue Share. The North American adrenocortical hormones API market is expected to record a largest market revenue share in the near future. This can be attributed to a well-established healthcare system that provides medical treatment to a large population and a high incidence of hormonal and endocrine diseases. In addition, Asia Pacific is estimated to grow rapidly in the global adrenocortical hormones API market because of a highly developed healthcare system, encourages the development of new pharmaceuticals, increases spending on healthcare, and a rising public and professional understanding of the significance of identifying and treating hormone abnormalities early in this region. Recent Developments: - In April 2021, Piramal Pharma Solutions (PPS) expressed its plan to purchase API manufacturer Hemmo Pharmaceuticals for a total of Rs 775 crore. Through this acquisition, PPS expanded its operations to include the development and production of peptide APIs. Hemmo was one of the few companies solely focused on manufacturing synthetic peptide APIs on a global scale. Adrenocortical Hormones API Market Report Scope Report Attribute \| Specifications \| Market Size Value In 2023 \| USD 2.24 Bn \| Revenue Forecast In 2031 \| USD 3.55 Bn \| Growth Rate CAGR \| CAGR of 6.04% from 2024 to 2031 \| Quantitative Units \| Representation of revenue in US$ Bn and CAGR from 2024 to 2031 \| Historic Year \| 2019 to 2023 \| Forecast Year \| 2024-2031 \| Report Coverage \| The forecast of revenue, the position of the company, the competitive market structure, growth prospects, and trends \| Segments Covered \| By Type, And End User \| Regional Scope \| North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Latin America; Middle East & Africa \| Country Scope \| U.S.; Canada; U.K.; Germany; China; India; Japan; Brazil; Mexico; France; Italy; Spain; Southeast Asia; South Korea \| Competitive Landscape \| Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline, Xianju Pharma, Teva, Piramal Pharma Solutions, Guangzhou Tosun Pharmaceutical, BCN Peptides, Guangdong VTR Bio-Tech Co., Ltd, Symbiotec Pharmalab, Sun Pharmaceutical, Cipla, Hovione, Shandong Xinhua Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Steroid SpA, Junye Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Avik Pharmaceutical, Tianjin Pacific Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (TJPP), Shandong Sito Bio-technology CO., LTD., and Other Market Players \| Customization Scope \| Free customization report with the procurement of the report and modifications to the regional and segment scope. Particular Geographic competitive landscape. \| Pricing And Available Payment Methods \| Explore pricing alternatives that are customized to your particular study requirements. \|
How A Mindfulness Journal Can Help You Live A Better Life How A Mindfulness Journal Can Help You Live A Better Life A few well-known people who kept personal diaries were Frida Kahlo, Leonardo da Vinci, Marie Curie, and Charles Darwin. And some "important people" today, also known as "social media influencers," have made the "That Girl" morning journal more well-known. It can be tough to judge whether taking the effort to write down your thoughts and feelings is worthwhile if you don't have all of the details. Which is better for your health: keeping a 5-minute journal or doing something more active? Journaling, according to our findings, is the answer. Writing in a life journal improves both your mental and physical health. Journaling has been scientifically shown to improve our lives by - Memory enhancement - Developing an optimistic attitude - Negative emotions can be reframed. - Increasing attention and organization - Improving Immune Function - Increasing personal consciousness - Creating a sense of purpose Increasing productivity levels - Helping with sleep But how could something as easy as journaling affect our health so profoundly? Let's go exploring. Journaling Your Gratitude Is On Its Way To Health. It has been proven that expressing thanks improves both mental and physical health. Journaling allows us to examine the advantages and disadvantages of any given day, circumstance, or cognitive process. Slowing down to process a concept typically reduces its apparent pressure. And reflecting on one's day always reveals something unexpectedly lovely. Thinking about what was, is, and will be gives a sense of optimism, appreciation, and hope. Even women suffering from severe depression improve their mental health when prompted to keep a reflection notebook. Increase your productivity and energy. A fitness notebook or mindfulness journal may be the solution to breaking through a plateau, whether you're trying to start a new wellness routine or finish your thesis project. University students who completed a two-week online journaling assignment demonstrated increased levels of academic motivation. Taking the time to jot down tasks connected to your work or your progress toward a goal can help you enjoy the trip and deal with problems creatively. Get more rest. Many of us have experienced the sense of being exhausted and in need of rest but unable to sleep due to nagging thoughts and worries. In one study, participants with this condition were given two journaling assignments: one to write down the chores they had performed throughout the day, and the other to write down the things they planned to complete the next day. Participants who wrote down the activities for the next day fell asleep far faster than those who wrote down what they had already done. If you have trouble falling asleep at night, keep a task diary. Improve your immune system. It's difficult to believe, yet journaling has been shown to benefit our immune systems. The effect is real, regardless of whether it is physical or psychological. Journaling for 15-20 minutes, 3-5 times a week, was assigned to a group of people. Those who wrote creatively and expressively about their lives had lower blood pressure, fewer doctor visits, and better lung and liver function. If you're stuck for creative writing ideas, try the prompt at the end of this blog post. Control stress, anxiety, and depression This is where clinical data in favor of journaling really shines. Journaling assists people who are dealing with negativity to reinterpret their feelings in a practical and constructive manner. Through journaling, we can see our patterns of negative self-talk, triggers, and stressors that are causing people who are dealing with negativity to reinterpret their feelings in a practical and constructive manner. Through journaling, we can see our patterns of negative self-talk, triggers, and stressors. Then we learn to detect and manage these situations before they spiral out of control. Journaling has been shown to lessen depressive symptoms in adolescents. Nursing students who journaled during the COVID-19 epidemic fared better in terms of stress and conduct than those who did not. And it wasn't just nurses who found relief from coronavirus anxiety through journaling; throughout the epidemic, a simple gratitude-writing intervention reduced stress and negative thoughts in a random sample of people. Control your trauma symptoms. Journaling is an effective tool for symptom reduction when dealing with trauma. When trauma survivors keep a self-care journal, they have fewer emotional symptoms and greater physical health. Those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) had an improved ability to make efficient and sound decisions (a skill that is often lost following a terrible experience). Journaling is a therapeutic option for those facing more severe mental and physical issues. When women with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) keep a diary, they experience less anxiety. Sarcoma patients used journaling as a therapeutic outlet to deal with the discomfort of chemotherapy and were more likely to complete cancer treatment. Substance abuse recovery Parents employed journaling as a self-care strategy, which ultimately made their parenting practices more effective. Additionally, eating disorder patients are given a food journal to keep track of their emotions before and after meals in order to tackle food concerns and disordered eating behaviors head-on.! Now that you've been convinced of the power of pen and paper, here are a few ideas to get you started with mindfulness writing. Rules: There are none. Before you begin, it is important to understand that there are no rules, standards, structures, or "bad" methods to journal. Remove any self-judgment and expectations you may have about how your notebook should look or sound. Allow whatever happens to happen. The key to receiving personal insight and actionable inspiration from journaling is to approach it with inquiry and observation. To be published in a journal Structured writing time is beneficial to some people. As previously stated, many influencers believe that journaling first thing in the morning is preferable since it ensures that you begin your day attentively (and that it gets done). Setting a timer and choosing a reasonable schedule will keep you more accountable for journaling. Making a "target" for how frequently and for how long you write offers the extra bonus of accomplishment. Make a schedule. Examine your progress next week. Plan when and for how long you will journal. Create a writing environment that is comfortable, safe, and quiet. Make a cup of tea, take out your favorite pen, and see what comes out. Journal on the Springboard If the idea of sitting down at regular intervals to write gives you the shivers, you might benefit from carrying a little journal with you for on-the-go scribbling. It can be useful if you are frequently provoked by tiny things, as you can tackle those feelings as they arise. If you don't want to write about yourself, consider journaling about the world around you: the intriguing people you met on the metro, what you saw on your run, or the work assignment you can't seem to finish. Combining deep thoughts with lighthearted musings can provide a fresh perspective on daily life. Grab and Go Purchase a little journal and pen that you may carry with you at all times. Note ideas and observations about the world around you as they occur to you. You might be astonished at how many amusing encounters and good ideas you come across. Journal of Wellness Journaling in a fitness diary fosters the mind-body connection, which may aid in the achievement of your goals. The following are three types of wellness journals: Keep a yoga journal beside your yoga mat. Write down how your body is now feeling and your intentions for the yoga session before you begin. Write down how your physical sensations have changed after the practice. You can even pause in the middle of a practice session to acknowledge any thoughts or feelings that come. Instead of using your phone to count reps and sets, try using a pen and paper. Note physical and mental sensations in addition to your training. Did the workout leave you exhausted and depressed, or did you leave the gym energized? Did any of the movements cause you pain in your shoulder? If so, what could be causing the discomfort? And if you have a divine insight about life while working out, you can pause to write it down. Food journal: As previously stated, eating disorder patients are provided journals in which to track their food intake. However, they are not keeping track of calories or intake. Rather, they are observing the emotional motivation and response to eating. Tracking your diet is an excellent approach to ensure you're receiving enough micros and macros. By incorporating your emotional relationship with food into your eating behavior, you can better comprehend food cues and develop alternatives to emotional eating. The idea is to become an intuitive eater by understanding your daily demands. If journaling still feels like a chore, or if you're unsure where to begin, we've got a prompt for you. If you're still confused about your specific journaling aims, consider these questions. Set a timer for 5 minutes and see how many responses you can come up with. If you finish early, go back and elaborate on your responses. Simply keep asking yourself, "Why?" and write down the answer. You'll eventually discover your most profound point of view! - What three adjectives best characterize your current emotional state? - What three words best characterize your current bodily state? - What color best expresses your mood? - What was the most enjoyable thing that happened to you today? - What was the most difficult thing that happened to you today? - What are your plans for the day? - What are your daily responsibilities? - What can you do today to take care of yourself? - What occurred a year ago today? Have fun journaling! Altena, E., Baglioni, C., Espie, C. A., Ellis, J., Gavriloff, D., Hol-zinger, B., Schlarb, A., Frase, L., Jernelöv, S., & Riemann, D. (2020). Dealing with sleep problems during home confinement due to the COVID-19 outbreak: Practical recommendations from a task force of the European CBT-I Academy. Journal of Sleep Research, 29(4), 1–7. https:// doi. org/ 10. 1111/ jsr. 13052 Banerjee, D., & Rai, M. (2020). Social isolation in Covid-19: The impact of loneliness. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 66(6), 525–527. https:// doi. org/ 10. 1177/ 00207 64020 922269 Bennett, Jill. (2022). Visual Communication and Mental Health, Journal of Visual Communication, 22:1. Chambers, C. D., & Tzavella, L. (2022). The past, present, and future registered reports. Nature Human Behaviour,6,29–42 Chen, J., Bloodworth, R., Novak, P., Le Cook, B., Goldman, H. H., Rendall, M. S., Thomas, S. B., & Reynolds, C. F. (2018). Reducing preventable hospitalization and disparity: Association with local health department mental health promotion activities. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 54(1), 103–112. https:// doi. org/ 10. 1016/j. ampere. 2017. 10. 011 Das-Munshi, J., Bhugra, D., & Crawford, M. J. (2018). Ethnic minor-ity inequalities in access to treatments for schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders: Findings from a nationally representa-tive cross-sectional study. BMC Medicine, 16(1), 55. Gluckman, Nicole & Eagle, Andrew & Michalitsi, Maria & Reynolds, Nicky. (2022). 0123456789) 1 3 Community Mental Health Journal. Community Mental Health Journal. Meule, Adrian & Harnett, Nathaniel & Rhee, Greg. (2022). Mental Health Science: A multidisciplinary journal. Mental Health Science. 10.1002/mhs2.5. Zhang, Xi & Milowsky, Andrew & Chang, Catherine & Erford, Bradley. (2023). A Meta-Study of the Journal of Creativity in Mental Health (JCMH): An Analysis of Publication Characteristics, 2005-2019. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health. 1-12. 10.1080/15401383.2023.2168323.
Eleazar Daligdig Children's Illustrator Who or what made you want to become an illustrator? As an illustrator from Cebu City, Philippines, I was inspired by the vibrant culture and rich artistic heritage of my hometown. Growing up in Cebu City, I was surrounded by a diverse range of art forms, from traditional Filipino crafts to contemporary street art. I was captivated by the intricate details, colors, and storytelling elements in illustrations I saw around me. Additionally, I was influenced by local artists who showcased their talent and passion for illustration. Seeing their work showcased in galleries, exhibitions, and even on the streets inspired me to pursue a career in this field. Their ability to bring stories to life through visuals and create emotional connections with viewers motivated me to develop my own artistic skills. Moreover, the natural beauty of Cebu City and the Philippines as a whole served as a constant source of inspiration for my illustrations. The lush landscapes, vibrant festivals, and unique cultural traditions provided a wellspring of ideas and themes to explore in my artwork. Ultimately, it was the combination of these influences—the vibrant local culture, the talent of fellow artists, and the captivating surroundings—that sparked my desire to become an illustrator. It's a way for me to express my creativity, tell stories, and contribute to the rich artistic tapestry of Cebu City and beyond. How and why did you decide to pursue illustration as your career? As an artist who has transitioned from traditional art to digital art, allow me to share my journey and the reasons behind my decision to pursue illustration as my career. Art has always been a significant part of my life, stemming from my early years when I would spend hours sketching and experimenting with different mediums. I found solace and fulfillment in the act of creating, and my passion for art only grew stronger over time. Traditional art was my foundation, and it provided me with a deep understanding of various techniques, textures, and the tangible connection between artist and canvas. However, as technology advanced and digital tools became more accessible, I couldn't help but be intrigued by the possibilities they offered. I was drawn to the endless potential of digital art, the ability to manipulate and experiment without the fear of irreversible mistakes, and the convenience of working with a digital canvas that allowed for quick iterations and revisions. The prospect of seamlessly blending different mediums and effortlessly exploring new artistic horizons was incredibly appealing. One of the key factors that solidified my decision to transition to digital art was the evolving landscape of the creative industry. The digital realm opened doors to a vast array of opportunities, from working in animation studios and game development to creating concept art and designing illustrations for various media platforms. The demand for digital art was growing rapidly, and I wanted to ensure that I stayed relevant and adaptable in an ever-changing market. Additionally, the accessibility and global reach offered by the digital medium played a significant role in my decision. Sharing my art with a worldwide audience became much more attainable through online platforms, social media, and digital galleries. The potential to connect with fellow artists, collaborate on projects remotely, and engage with a diverse community of art enthusiasts was incredibly enticing. While my transition to digital art required a learning curve and a period of adjustment, the freedom and versatility it provided ultimately won me over. I embraced the digital tools and software available, honing my skills and discovering new techniques that pushed the boundaries of my artistic expression. The ability to create vibrant and immersive illustrations, manipulate light and color with ease, and incorporate intricate details became an integral part of my artistic style. Overall, the decision to pursue illustration as my career came from a combination of personal passion, curiosity, and the desire to adapt to the changing artistic landscape. The digital medium offered new avenues of creativity, expanded opportunities, and the chance to connect with a global audience. Through this transition, I have found immense joy and fulfillment as an artist, continuously evolving and exploring the endless possibilities that digital art presents. What is your favourite children's book and why? As a self-taught artist with college level education, I didn't attend art school or undertake any other formal artistic training. My artistic journey has been primarily shaped by my own curiosity, experimentation, and the drive to constantly improve my skills. I currently live in Cebu City, but I grew up in a tropical island called Camotes. While I didn't have access to formal art education or resources in my childhood, creativity was always a significant part of my life. I would spend countless hours doodling, sketching, and creating my own imaginative worlds. Art became my way of expressing myself and exploring the boundless depths of my imagination. Drawing has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. From the moment I picked up a pencil, I was captivated by the ability to bring my ideas to life on paper. Whether it was sketching scenes from my favorite books or creating my own characters, drawing provided me with a sense of joy and fulfillment. As a self-taught artist, my major artistic influences have come from various sources. I've drawn inspiration from renowned illustrators, studying their techniques and observing how they capture emotions and tell stories through their art. Additionally, nature, everyday life, and the works of other artists I've encountered online or in local galleries have also influenced my artistic style. Although I didn't have access to a wide range of books during my childhood, a few stand out as cherished treasures. I loved Dr. Seuss books because of the unique and whimsical illustrations: Dr. Seuss had a distinct and recognizable artistic style that was characterized by bold, vibrant colors, playful shapes, and imaginative creatures. His illustrations were often whimsical, surreal, and filled with intricate details. As an artist, I appreciate his ability to create visually captivating and engaging worlds that transcend traditional boundaries. As a self-taught artist, I haven't had a specific mentor in the traditional sense. However, I've been fortunate enough to find guidance and inspiration from fellow artists in online communities and social media platforms. Their valuable feedback, advice, and shared experiences have played a crucial role in shaping my artistic journey. In terms of my working technique, I've developed my own process through trial and error. I typically begin with rough sketches and thumbnailing to establish the composition and overall concept. Once I'm satisfied with the initial sketch, I refine it further, adding more details and focusing on the character design or key elements of the illustration. Finally, I move on to adding colors, shading, and textures digitally, using software such as [mention software]. This allows me to achieve the desired atmosphere and bring the illustration to life. The software and hardware that I couldn't live without would be my trusty drawing tablet and the digital painting software. They are essential tools for my digital art process, enabling me to have precise control over my brushstrokes and work seamlessly with layers, colors, and textures. While I enjoy working with various mediums, my favorite medium is digital art. It offers endless possibilities, flexibility, and the ability to experiment without constraints. Digital art allows me to create vibrant illustrations with intricate details while giving me the freedom to revise and explore different artistic directions effortlessly. Yes, I do keep a sketchbook. It serves as a space for me to jot down ideas, practice new techniques, and capture inspiration when I'm on the go. It's a valuable tool for exploring concepts and refining my skills. The creation of my favorite character from one of my books was an exciting and iterative process. I started with rough sketches, experimenting with different shapes,
A Beginner's Guide on How to Grow Garlic (Expert level Ttps at the end): Welcome to the fragrant world of homegrown garlic! This versatile bulb adds layers of flavor to our dishes and boasts impressive health benefits. Growing your own offers not only fresh, delicious harvest but also the satisfaction of cultivating something special. This guide will equip you with the knowledge and steps to embark on your garlic-growing journey! 1. Planning and Preparation: - Climate and Timing: Garlic thrives in cool climates with distinct seasons. Plant hardneck varieties (braided stalks) in fall (6-8 weeks before first frost) and softneck varieties (single stalk) in spring (after last frost). - Choosing Garlic: Opt for seedbulb garlic from local nurseries or online suppliers. Avoid supermarket garlic, as it may not be suitable for planting. Choose varieties suited to your climate and desired flavor profile. - Soil and Bed Preparation: Garlic craves well-draining, fertile soil rich in organic matter. Choose a sunny spot in your garden (6-8 hours sunlight) and amend the soil with compost several weeks before planting. 2. Planting Your Garlic Clovelets: - Separating Cloves: Gently break apart the garlic bulb, leaving the papery skin on each clove. Choose large, plump cloves for better yield. - Planting Depth and Spacing: Dig holes 2-3 inches deep, spaced 6-8 inches apart in rows. Place cloves root-side down, pointy end facing up. Cover with soil and gently firm. - Mulching and Watering: Apply a 2-3 inch layer of organic mulch (straw, leaves) to retain moisture and suppress weeds. Water well initially and continue to water throughout the growing season, especially during dry spells. 3. Nurturing Your Garlic Patch: - Early Growth: As shoots emerge, remove any weeds competing for space and nutrients. Continue to water regularly. - Spring Care: As leaves unfurl, top-dress with organic fertilizer around the base of the plants. Water deeply during warmer months. - Summer Slumber: As temperatures rise, the leaves may yellow and die back. This is natural – garlic is storing energy underground. Water occasionally to prevent complete drying. 4. Harvesting and Curing Your Garlic Bounty: - Harvest Time: When the bottom leaves brown and the flower stalk begins to curl (softneck varieties), it's harvest time (usually late June to early August). Gently dig up the bulbs, leaving some soil attached. - Curing: Brush off excess dirt and let the bulbs air dry in a cool, well-ventilated area for 2-4 weeks. Hang them in braids or spread them on a single layer. Properly cured garlic will have a papery outer skin and firm, dry cloves. - Storage: Store cured garlic in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place (around 50°F). Properly stored garlic can last for months! Growing garlic is a rewarding experience, enriching your garden and your kitchen. With this guide, you have the basic knowledge and steps to turn cloves into culinary treasures. Remember, be patient, attentive, and enjoy the process! Feel free to delve deeper into specific varieties, pest control, and other nuances as you gain experience. Soon, you'll be sharing the pungent joy of homegrown garlic with friends and family, adding a special touch to every meal. Happy planting! Expert-Level Garlic Cultivation 1. Cultivar Selection: - Hardneck Varieties: Opt for "music hardneck" for its bold flavor and cold tolerance. Consider "russian red" for its spicy kick and large cloves. - Softneck Varieties: Choose "silverskin" for its mild flavor and long storage life. Explore "porcelain" for its beautiful white cloves and sweet taste. 2. Advanced Soil Preparation: - Soil Test: Conduct a soil test to determine pH and nutrient levels. Aim for a pH between 6.2 and 6.8. Amend soil with specific additions based on test results like bone meal for phosphorus or potash for potassium. - Double Digging: For heavy clay soils, consider double digging to improve drainage and aeration. Pre-sow with green manure crops like buckwheat or rye to build organic matter and suppress weeds. 3. Planting Optimization to Grow Garlic: - Cold Stratification (Hardneck): Boost hardneck bulb size by pre-chilling cloves for 4-6 weeks at 35-40°F before planting. Place them in a breathable container with damp sand or sawdust in your refrigerator. - Spacing and Depth: Adjust spacing based on clove size and variety. Larger cloves (like "elephant garlic") may need 10-12 inches between cloves, while smaller varieties can be closer, at 4-6 inches. 4. How To Nurture Garlic Patch: - Foliar Feeding: In early spring, consider foliar feeding with diluted seaweed extract or fish emulsion for a nutrient boost. - Interplanting: Companion plant your garlic with beneficial insects like alyssum and dill to attract pollinators and deter pests. - Irrigation Management: Avoid overwatering after planting, as it can promote soft rot. Use drip irrigation for water efficiency and to protect foliage from fungal diseases. 5. Advanced Garlic Harvesting and Curing: - Timing and Indicators: For ideal bulb size and quality, harvest hardnecks before the stalk completely dries and softnecks just as the flower stalk emerges. Monitor weather and harvest before heavy rains to prevent rot. Experts that know how to grow garlic perfectly each season rely on instincts, too. - Curing Optimizations: Control humidity during curing to avoid mold. Aim for 60-80% humidity and good air circulation. Use a dehumidifier if needed. - Curing Duration: Cure hardneck varieties for 4-6 weeks, while softnecks need 2-3 weeks. Monitor cloves for dryness and adjust curing time accordingly. 6. Storage and Seed Selection: - Long-Term Storage: For longer storage (8-10 months), choose late-maturing, hardneck varieties like "northern white." Properly cured bulbs can be stored in mesh bags in a cool, dark pantry. - Seed Selection: Save the largest, healthiest cloves from your harvest for planting next year. Select disease-free bulbs with plump cloves and firm necks. Final Thoughts on How To Grow Garlic - Local climate and soil conditions can significantly impact your garlic's growth. Observe your plants and adjust care practices accordingly. - Experiment with different varieties and techniques to find what works best in your garden. - Don't be afraid to seek help from experienced garlic growers or local farming communities. With dedication and a bit of expert knowledge, you'll be growing prize-winning garlic in no time! If you enjoyed Ace's guide on how to grow garlic, check out his newest manual on growing potatoes.
One of the dilemmas in delaying sex-assignment surgery is the increased risk of gonadal malignancy Few areas of medicine are as controversial as the management of disorders of sex development (DSD). The use of the term DSD to describe patients born with ambiguous genitalia has undergone major change from older terms with negative connotations, such as "intersex", "testicular feminisation" and "hermaphroditism".1 Meanwhile, international debate continues about the ethics of performing genital surgery on affected infants and children. In fact, the debate has been raging for more than a decade between the medical profession and patient advocacy groups in Western countries, and has been documented by anthropologist Katrina Karkazis in a recent book.2 A long-term outcome study of 50 patients aged 18–32 years who had been treated in Melbourne when they were children showed that mental and physical health outcomes were as good for most of the DSD patients as for those in two control groups; however, there was a small minority of patients whose gender identity as adults was a source of such profound discomfort that they felt compelled to undergo treatment to change it.3 Clearly, this is unsatisfactory, and management practices have been reviewed internationally by clinicians looking for ways of minimising the risk of making such mistakes about gender assignment. The full article is accessible to AMA members and paid subscribers. Login to read more or purchase a subscription now. Please note: institutional and Research4Life access to the MJA is now provided through Wiley Online Library. - Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC. - 1. Hughes IA. Disorders of sex development: a new definition and classification. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab 2008; 22: 119-134. - 2. Karkazis K. Fixing sex: intersex, medical authority, and lived experience. London: Duke University Press, 2008. - 3. Warne G, Grover S, Hutson J, et al. A long-term outcome study of intersex conditions. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab 2005; 18: 555-567. - 4. Cohen-Kettenis P. Psychological long-term outcome in intersex conditions. Horm Res 2005; 64 Suppl 2: 27-30. - 5. Migeon CJ, Wisniewski AB, Gearhart JP, et al. Ambiguous genitalia with perineoscrotal hypospadias in 46,XY individuals: long-term medical, surgical, and psychosexual outcome. Pediatrics 2002; 110: e31. - 6. Diamond M. Pediatric management of ambiguous and traumatized genitalia. J Urol 1999; 162: 1021-1028. - 7. Looijenga LH, Hersmus R, Oosterhuis JW, et al. Tumour risk in disorders of sex development (DSD). Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab 2007; 21: 480-495. - 8. Parker JL, Ekman DL, Hayden LJ. Hysterectomy in a phenotypic male with advanced gonadal malignancy and intersex. Med J Aust 2009; 190: 644-646. <MJA full text> - 9. Hughes IA, Houk C, Ahmed SF, Lee PA. Consensus statement on management of intersex disorders. Arch Dis Child 2006; 91: 554-563. - 10. Mendonca BB, Domenice S, Arnhold IJ, Costa EM. 46,XY disorders of sex development (DSD). Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 2009; 70: 173-187. - 11. Edelmann L, Hirschhorn K. Clinical utility of array CGH for the detection of chromosomal imbalances associated with mental retardation and multiple congenital anomalies. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2009; 1151: 157-166.
The Klavis Grainity, a digitally-controlled full-analog path Granular + Multimode VCF, is a game-changer in the realm of analog VCF (Voltage Controlled Filter). With an unprecedented concept of granular analog filtering, Grainity promises to bring a radical change to sound design and synthesis. The granular filter and the multimode filter, both of which have separate outputs, pave the way for an unheard spectrum of sound results - from subharmonics to harmonies, unison to flange effects, and formant filtering. A dedicated output allows for the mixing of these two filter types, offering the potential for even broader sonic experimentation. The term 'granular' in the context of this module comes from the innovative thought process of composer Yannis Xenakis, which focused on composing sound using small segments, termed 'grains'. It is this concept that Grainity has impeccably embodied, enabling the shaping of sound using granules to create unique audio patterns. Digital control certainly breathes fresh life into this concept, offering capabilities beyond the rudimentary methods of tape cuts and splices that were used in Xenakis's era. The granular VCF segment of Grainity employs a unique approach for sound processing. The incoming sound cycle is determined, and thereafter, it steps through diverse phases of filtering and variations of itself, following certain predefined patterns, known as structures. The controls have been designed in a way that allows one to modify the phase of the cycles, the frequency offset, structure selection, and frequency division of the filter cycles. These functionalities strongly complement the standard filter frequency and resonance controls. Notably, despite utilizing a microprocessor, Grainity is beyond its technical definition – it is neither a digital audio processor nor converts or generates audio signals. The sounds remain in the analog domain, passing through analog circuits from input to output. The microprocessor's function is purely to control the analog circuitry and to handle the display interface. The granular VCF in Grainity challenges traditional notions of sound filtering. Rather than acting as a subtractive synthesis tool, removing frequencies to shape the sound, it often adds more to it. This process tends to expand both the lower range, generating subharmonics, and the upper harmonic contents in several ways. It is worth noting that Grainity is very different from many digital modules that employ the concept of granular processing. These modules typically center around layering sound grains, resulting in a blurred and cloudy texture. On the other hand, Grainity does not use delay lines or sampling memory, yet it remains true to the core values of granular synthesis. Its function, as per the original concept, is not in layering but in repurposing sound grains to form new patterns and structures. In conclusion, Klavis Grainity is a transformative addition to the toolbox of any eurorack enthusiast. As an innovative blend of tried-and-true analog filtering and granular synthesis, it offers a remarkable breadth of opportunities for sound design. Its ability to create and explore novel textures marks it as an essential module for those looking to venture further into the sonic frontiers. Get ready to unearth new depths of sound with each interaction. Always remember, your sound, your rules. Happy sonic exploration! Example Usage In this NOVICE-level usage example, let's explore how you can start using the Klavis Grainity module to shape and manipulate your sound: - Start by patching an audio source into the Grainity module. - Adjust the Frequency and Resonance controls on both the Granular VCF and Multimode VCF sections to hear the impact on the sound. - Experiment with the Phase Inversion switch to switch between the two filter paths and explore the sonic differences. - Mix the output of both filters using the dedicated output to blend the filtered signals. - Try modulating the controls using CV inputs to introduce movement and dynamic changes to your sound. - Explore the self-resonance capability of the Multimode filter for interesting tonal variations. - Dive into the unique controls of the Granular filter, such as Structure selection, Frequency Division, and Phase settings, to sculpt intricate textures. - Don't forget to save your favorite settings before powering off, as the Grainity maintains its current settings over power cycles. - Consider updating the firmware via a simple audio file to access the latest features and improvements for your creative explorations. With these steps, you can start unlocking the sonic potential of the Klavis Grainity module and begin your journey into analog granular filtering. Experiment, play, and let your creativity flow as you delve deeper into the sonic frontiers with this innovative Eurorack module. To showcase the versatility of Klavis Grainity in an intermediate-level patch, let's create a dynamic evolving texture. Start by sending a slow random voltage LFO to modulate the Frequency control of the granular filter. This will introduce fluctuations in the granular processing, adding subtle variations to the sound. Next, patch an envelope generator to modulate the Resonance parameter of the multimode filter section. Adjust the envelope to have a slow attack and release to sculpt the filter response over time, creating gradual swells and fades in the frequency spectrum. For more intricate timbral shifts, patch an external audio source with rhythmic patterns into the Detect input of the granular section. This will synchronize the cycling of the grains with the incoming audio, generating complex rhythms and textures that interact with the source material. Experiment with the Structure selection and Frequency Division controls in the granular section to explore different grain patterns and lengths. Combine this with phase adjustments to further manipulate the granular processing, pushing the boundaries of sonic experimentation. Finally, route the mixed output of both filter paths to external effects modules like delays or reverbs to add spatial depth and ambiance to the evolving texture. Tweak the shared Frequency and Resonance controls to fine-tune the overall tonality of the processed sound. By incorporating these techniques and exploring the wide range of modulation possibilities offered by Klavis Grainity, you can craft intricate and evolving sonic landscapes that blur the line between traditional filtering and granular synthesis. Further Thoughts In this expert-level usage example, let's delve into integrating the Klavis Grainity into a modular synth setup focused on creating immersive ambient textures. Utilizing the granular filtering capabilities of the module, we can transform simple melodic lines into lush, evolving soundscapes. Patch Setup: - Connect an oscillator output to the audio input of the Grainity. - Use an LFO to modulate the frequency and resonance parameters of the granular filter section for dynamic movement. - Patch an envelope generator to control the cutoff frequency of the multimode VCF for shaping the overall tonality. - Employ multiple CV sources to modulate the structure selection, cycling phase, and frequency division parameters of the granular filter for intricate sound manipulation. Sound Exploration: Begin by dialing in a simple melody or chord progression on your oscillator. Engage the granular filter section of the Grainity and start experimenting with different structure selections to alter the grain patterns of the incoming sound cycle. Adjust the cycling phase and frequency offset controls to explore variations in timbre and texture. Next, blend in the output from the multimode VCF to introduce traditional filtering characteristics and sculpt the frequency response of the processed sound. Use the phase inversion switch to create phase cancellations and unique filter interactions between the two filter paths. To add depth and complexity to your sound design, try modulating the various parameters of the Grainity using external CV sources. For example, using an envelope follower to modulate the granular filter's cycling phase can result in rhythmic variations that enhance the evolving nature of the sound. By combining the granular filtering capabilities of the Klavis Grainity with traditional VCF processing and extensive modulation options, you can push the boundaries of sonic exploration within your Eurorack system, unlocking a world of expressive and immersive textures.

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